(Professor) Weasley did a stupid thing
by Nicknack2814
Summary: Charlie Weasley is teaching at Hogwarts and has just been bitten by a creature whose venom releases all his inhibitions. What happens when he ends up gunning for a girl he shouldn't be? And a student no less? AU No war. Lily lives but James dies saving her, and she ends up with Sirius instead.. Rated T for language mainly. COMPLETE and will be posted all in one go.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - the one where he should have listened to Lily and then had to relive all the stupid things he'd done. (Well, all of them involving her.)

Fuck.

Fuck!

Fuck fuck fuck!

Charlie Weasley had just been bitten by a Sutarebil. A small, puppy-like creature whose venom just so happened to release any and all inhibitions its victim had. Charlie had about thirty seconds before he succumbed to his greatest desire and he was currently surrounded by twenty or so students all looking at him intently.

"I need someone to blindfold me and take me to Professor Black, immediately!" Charlie said, clamping his eyes shut and waiting for someone to do as he'd asked.

"Professor Weasley..." Christie McKinnon's sweet, syrupy voice spoke from beside him. "Sir, you mustn't worry, whatever you do is not your fault..."

Dammit! He should have listened to bloody Lily Potter! She told him Christie had a thing for him and to be careful. He was now quite worried she'd done it on purpose, 'accidentally' letting go of her pup so he'd have to catch it and suffer the bite, in the hopes his release of constraint would see him set his lips on hers.

Charlie had been working as the Care of Magical Creatures Professor for nearly a whole year now, and his good looks alongside his being the youngest teacher at Hogwarts saw a lot of unwanted attention from the female students. Lily Potter was the Potions Professor and Sirius Black was Transfiguration Professor. Why on Earth Headmistress McGonagall hired Sirius Black after his Hogwarts days as Padfoot was beyond Charlie but he loved her for it nonetheless. He'd become as thick as thieves with Sirius in the few short months he'd been there.

Now the venom had a proper hold on him, it was all Charlie could do but curse once more before his eyes snapped open and he began marching back towards the school with _her_ in the forefront of his mind. He was too late and his students hadn't listened to him. In the back of his mind, he knew he was likely to get sacked if he ran into her before the venom wore off. His intentions were anything but innocent and she was still a student even if she was of age. On his journey back towards the castle he couldn't help thinking over all the little moments that brought him to this point, where he was seeking her out because she was his heart's deepest desire.

He'd known her for several years, and known _of_ her for much longer. He'd met Hermione Granger when she was fourteen, a few weeks shy of fifteen. She was one of his youngest brother's best friends, along with Harry Potter. The three of them made a trio of sorts. He still remembered the look of anguish on her face as she hovered over by the fence whilst he and Bill smashed a couple of tables together in some sort of mock fight. She was so torn between her amusement and her anxiety that Charlie couldn't help find her a little adorable. But that was three and a half years ago now and he'd barely been watching for the first two as she grew up into quite a remarkable young woman. When Charlie moved back from Romania to teach at Hogwarts he honestly didn't think he'd be falling head over heels for the witch. He knew she wasn't as goody-two-shoes as the majority of the student body thought, but he felt she was still a little vanilla for him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - the one where he and Sirius tried to 'steal' potion ingredients from Lily but forgot she was teaching the seventh years.

It started within the first week of him coming to Hogwarts. Charlie and Sirius had hit it off like a bomb explosion (a glorious reaction for them and a disaster for everyone else) and they'd come up with quite an ingenious prank to pull on the poor unsuspecting students that were supposed to be under their care. But first they needed potions ingredients and in their fit of excitement forgot that Lily was teaching the seventh years and that they'd have to walk through her classroom to get to the store cupboard.

"What are you two up to?" Lily frowned.

"Nothing," Charlie said a little too quickly. Sirius beamed.

"Oh for the love of...please tell me you haven't corrupted him already _Professor_ Black?!" Lily asked exasperatedly. Hermione snorted at that before either of them could answer. Charlie frowned curiously at her.

"Something to say Miss Granger?" Sirius asked innocently enough. Except that she'd known the man on far more familial terms for seven years now since she'd been staying over at Harry's practically every holiday they'd had since she'd started Hogwarts.

"No Sir, not really," Hermione said, a small shake of her head and a little smirk on her face.

"Please, share what's so amusing with the rest of the class Miss Granger..." Sirius smirked back at her.

"Professor Weasley doesn't need corrupting. Fred and George were his fault and a man who can create pranksters like that doesn't need leading astray, you just found him wandering in the same place you were," Hermione said.

"What makes you think I'm that bad?" Charlie fixed his blue eyes on Hermione's deep chocolate brown ones and her smile grew a little more devious.

"Well, my first clue was seven years ago, before I'd ever met you. I got it from a guy called Norbert, although if I recall he turned out to be more of a girl...Norberta, right?" Hermione raised an eyebrow and waited for his response. Charlie's face broke out into a wide smile.

"What about that screamed irresponsible to you?" He asked.

"Seriously?!" Hermione scoffed. "At no point in your response to three first years did you ask how or why we came to...have met Norbert. And there was no authoritative tone to it, not even one reprimanding sentence. Just a 'thanks for the letter, sounds great, shouldn't be a problem so long as we don't get caught. Let me know if the...logistics are a problem.'"

"Who is Norbert?" Lily and Sirius asked at the same time.

"A special friend of Hagrid's," Hermione answered and both Professors grimaced a little.

"We don't want to know, do we?" Lily sighed.

"No, sorry..." Hermione shook her head apologetically.

It was that small conversation that sparked Charlie's interest in Hermione and he tried to squash it, really really hard. But it wouldn't go away, like the persistent buzz of a fly or a nagging ache in the back of his head. And over the course of the school year it just grew louder and louder the more interactions he had with her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - the one where he was bitten in lesson and swore like a trooper in front of his entire class.

"Fuck!" Charlie shouted. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" He was dancing around clutching his hand.

" _Professor_ Weasley!" Hermione scowled as she rushed over to him. "You're not supposed to use that sort of language in front of students!"

"No shit Sherlock but it fucking hurts! The little fucker fucking bit me!" Charlie raged, his face having gone a little pale and his stomach toying with the idea of emptying its contents.

"Professor!" Hermione admonished him fiercely. "Let me see..." she held out her hand and Charlie gave her a dubious look before setting his hand in hers, his palm facing up.

"Merlin Charlie! How are you still conscious!" Hermione cried, looking at her whimpering Professor with a new found respect and, albeit reluctant, curiosity.

"Ex dragon keeper, I've had worse," he grimaced as Hermione set to work tending to the very nasty burn in the centre of his upturned hand. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on anything but his scorched skin. Her ministrations were a welcome distraction from the pain and her fingers gripped his wrist confidently as she held his hand still. Slowly he felt the intense burn begin to subside and the sharp stinging dwindled down to nothing. He opened his eyes to find his hand almost completely healed and he marvelled at the amazing skill of the seventh year witch smoothing her fingertips across his palm looking for discrepancies. Hermione turned her eyes up to catch his and he found his breath catching in his throat at the beauty of her concerned gaze.

"Thank you," Charlie found himself croaking.

"No problem," Hermione murmured.

"Sir, is the lesson over or are we going to carry on now that Granger's had the opportunity to show off?" Pansy Parkinson snickered, an almost envious tone to her voice.

Charlie scowled at the girl and stood up, mustering all his teaching authority before opening his mouth. "Fuck off Parkinson, you're just jealous she's always been better than you."

The class stood looking at him with wide eyes and open mouths. Pansy sputtered and stuttered, outraged that she'd been spoken to in such a manner.

"Very mature!" Hermione hissed under her breath so only he could hear. If it wasn't for the slight upturn in the corners of her mouth, he'd have sworn she really was pissed at him.

"Worth it though," he mumbled, sending her a wink before looking back at the class. "Did anyone hear me say anything untoward or inappropriate to Miss Parkinson?"

"No Sir, at least nothing she didn't have coming," Dean Thomas grinned.

"You're a fucking legend Sir," Seamus Finnegan laughed.

"Yes I fucking am!" Charlie smirked.

"Charlie!" Hermione hissed again.

" _Professor Weasley..._ " Charlie corrected her with a roguish grin.

"I am _not_ calling you Professor if you won't act like one!" Hermione folded her arms in contempt.

"Fine, I hate being called Professor and Sir anyway." Charlie shrugged.

"You're insufferable," Hermione huffed.

"And yet you seem to suffer me quite nicely, wouldn't you say?" Charlie laughed as her cheeks tinted a little pink, making her that much more attractive to him. He groaned inwardly as the buzz got louder and the ache stronger.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - the one where he wasn't looking and accidentally got caught under the mistletoe with her. (Alternatively known as the one where he hadn't realised he didn't see her as a student till it was too late.)

December was an interesting month, Charlie mused as he continued his poison induced walk towards the castle.

There was a particular incident in which his fleeting fancies for Hermione solidified into actual like. Meandering through the corridors of the school, not paying any attention to where he was going, he suddenly came in contact with a solid, see-through wall.

"What the...?" He frowned as he looked up at it shimmering, having fallen on his backside. He heard a groan from beside him and twisted to see Hermione on the floor next to him.

"Granger!" He jumped up and helped her stand, her books scattered over the floor surrounding them. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." She nodded, holding her head. "My book fell on my head as I fell over..."

"Let me see," Charlie said, moving her hand to reveal a nice clean cut where it had split her head open. She winced as Charlie put his hands either side of it to get a better look. "It's not too bad, pretty easy to fix, if you trust me that is?" He winked at her and she rolled her eyes before looking like she might vomit. "Yeah, I wouldn't do that if I were you..." he sniggered.

"Just shut up and fix me," she huffed.

"So you do trust me?" He grinned as he began healing her head.

"Sometimes," she said.

Charlie found it hard to concentrate with her stood so close, he could smell the fruity scent of her shampoo and feel the warmth of her breath on his neck. He cleared his throat as he finished and stepped back.

"All done," he smiled.

"Thank you," Hermione said, her cheeks a little pink, something Charlie still found difficult to see as anything but adorable.

"So, what's going on? Why'd we end up on the floor?" He frowned, looking around. His frown turned into a scowl as his eyes landed upon the reason they'd found themselves trapped. "I am going to kill those little arsehole brothers of mine." He growled.

Hermione followed his line of sight and found the offending object. Charmed mistletoe. Weasley Wizard Wheezes charmed mistletoe. "You are largely responsible for them being the way they are," she reminded him.

"Whose side are you on?" Charlie huffed.

"Mine," she smirked.

"I thought this stuff wasn't supposed to work on teachers and students?" Charlie was back to frowning again.

"It's not..." Hermione mused. As they stood there pondering the glitch in the mistletoe, Professor Lupin walked around the corner.

"Professor! Professor Lupin?!" Hermione called out. Lupin looked up and smiled at her.

"Miss Granger, how may I help?" Lupin asked.

"This stupid mistletoe seems to have malfunctioned and I know the twins gave you and a couple other teachers a way to turn them off in case of an event such as this," Hermione said. "Please can you help us?"

"I could, if the mistletoe had in fact malfunctioned," Lupin smirked.

"But Char-Professor Weasley is a teacher and I am a student," Hermione frowned. "It's not supposed to target teachers and students!"

"No, it's not," Lupin smiled. "But the way it works is that the mistletoe reads the relationship between two people. A teacher will, most of the time, see a kiss with a student as inappropriate. The same as brothers and sisters and the like."

"Are you suggesting that I don't see kissing my students as inappropriate?!" Charlie snapped.

"Of course not Weasley! Don't be so ridiculous! If I thought that, I wouldn't have realised you from the mistletoe that trapped you with Daphne Greengrass this morning, because it wouldn't have been broken," Lupin explained.

"You got stuck with Greengrass this morning?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at Charlie, unable to contain her sniggers.

"It's not bloody funny Granger! She tampered with the fucking thing, I swear!" Charlie grimaced at the memory. "I had to put a fucking shield up between the two of us to stop her from sticking her tongue down my throat!"

Hermione just laughed harder. Charlie shoved her playfully before chuckling along with her.

"This is what I mean," Lupin said as he motioned between the two of them.

"Huh?" They both frowned.

"It would appear that neither of you truly see each other as teacher and student," Lupin sighed. "Thus the mistletoe isn't broken and I can't do anything."

"But..." Hermione stuttered. "He's still a bloody teacher! We can't kiss!"

"Well, it seems you're going to have to," Lupin chuckled.

"I still don't get it," she huffed. "I do see him as a teacher-"

"Yes but not first and foremost, Miss Granger," Lupin sighed in exasperation. "Your six years of knowing each other before Professor Weasley turned teacher would appear to be enough to stop you from seeing each other in a merely professional light."

"Well, watching a grown man joust with a garden table will do that to you," Hermione grumbled and Charlie burst out laughing. "So, you really can't do anything?" She asked forlornly.

"Well, technically I can but I'm not going to," Lupin said. "I don't see why I should when the mistletoe isn't broken." He smirked.

"Professor Lupin! You can't seriously be condoning this!" Hermione cried.

"She's a student!" Charlie's tone was almost pleading.

"She's of age and you don't see each other that way, so I don't see why you pair should get out of it when every other pair in your position has to suck it up," Lupin said. "Or pucker up, I suppose it should be..." he mused.

"Sir!" Hermione screeched.

"Anyway," Lupin shook himself out of his thoughts and smiled at the trapped couple. "Have a nice day won't you."

"You're going to just leave us here?" Charlie asked in a strangled sort of voice.

"Be grateful I'm not Sirius, he would have stayed to watch," Lupin called as he walked away.

"But Sir?!" Hermione cried.

"I wasn't a Marauder for nothing," he laughed, turning the corner and disappearing at the end of the corridor.

"I'm going to kill him, and then I'm going to kill Fred and George," Charlie hissed.

"I'll help," Hermione growled. "We can take on Lupin together, which twin d'you want?"

"I believe this contraption was Fred's idea," Charlie said, running his fingers through his hair and down his face.

"Then Fred's mi..." Hermione trailed off as she caught sight of the time on Charlie's wrist watch. "Merlin! Is that the time?! I'm going to be so late!"

Charlie looked down at his watch and swore, he had a class starting in three minutes.

"Sorry Charlie," Hermione said.

"What f-"

Hermione cut him off as she grabbed his face and kissed him hard, standing on her tiptoes to reach him properly. Charlie's head spun and his heart rate increased tenfold. Closing his eyes, his hands instinctively found her waist and he gripped hard in surprise. Before he could really register what was happening, or make a move to kiss her back, she was stepping back and running away.

"Sorry Charlie! I was going to be so late!" She called as she sprinted away from him.

Charlie stood in the hallway, dazed and confused and hoping beyond all hope that that was not the last time he'd feel Hermione's lips on his own. He heard a light chuckle from behind and whirled around to see Lupin smirking at him.

"I believe you have a lesson to be getting to Professor?" Lupin grinned.

"Thanks," Charlie said with a slow nod.

"For the reminder or the kiss?" Lupin laughed as he walked away.

"I'm not sure," Charlie whispered to himself, touching his lips lightly and frowning.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - the one where he hadn't humoured his mother and found a witch to date, thereby giving her the opportunity to ask him about potential partners and his brain the opportunity to instinctively think about her.

Charlie continued to remember how his crush on Hermione really cemented itself when he went home for the Christmas holidays.

His little brother was accompanied by none other than the bushy haired brightest witch of her age. Her parents had wanted to go somewhere hot for the holidays and that just wasn't Hermione. She was a cold weather girl, not a hot one. He'd had several conversations with the girl since she'd healed his hand, choosing to pretend the kiss never happened, and found her to be rather an interesting font of knowledge. They'd bickered a few times but he'd enjoyed the playful tone to their arguments and he found himself flirting with her more times than he was ashamed to admit. Sat around the dinner table at home and being asked by his mother if he'd met any nice witches lately that she might someday get to meet, he did his absolute best not to flick his gaze to her, even for a second. That was when he knew he liked her, a lot. A lot more than was appropriate for a teacher to like a student, and a lot more than he thought he could handle. When his mother asked, he realised he found her name on the tip of his tongue as well as the taste of her kiss. A memory not easily quashed when said girl was sat right beside him, her thigh pressed up against his own. Damn his large family and their lack of space per person!

"No one?" Molly Weasley sighed disappointedly at her son.

"Sorry mum, but there really aren't many dating opportunities in the middle of Scotland and teaching in a school," Charlie said.

"Well, there's quite a few women of age up there Charles!" Molly huffed.

"They're mostly all either too old or too young mum," Charlie sighed.

"And you can't seriously be condoning his chasing of a student?!" Bill cried in jested outrage.

"No! Of course not! I'm just saying it wouldn't be an awful thing if he did have feelings for one of them so long as they were of age!" Molly flustered.

"Mum! They're all just a bunch of giggling, hormone-fuelled, idiotic girls," Bill scoffed.

"Not all of them," Charlie said without thinking, his tone a little more defensive than may have been necessary. He was acutely aware of the witch sat next to him and her brilliant brain. Bill looked at him strangely before a small smile took over his face and Charlie groaned at his little mistake.

"Most of them," Hermione said, giving him a tiny smile of thanks at his defence of her and the collect few who'd actually managed to mature beyond silly little girls.

"I don't suppose you could set him up with any lovely witches, Hermione dear?" Molly asked, a pleading tone to her voice.

"I'm not sure that would be entirely appropriate until we'd all graduated, at least," Hermione mumbled, shifting uncomfortably.

"No it wouldn't," Charlie chuckled. "And besides, I can find a woman all by myself thanks mum!"

"I just want to see you happy Charlie," Molly sighed.

"I am happy," Charlie said.

"Yes, but the love of a good woman would make you happier still," Molly said.

"Yes, but the love of the wrong one would make me pretty miserable," Charlie countered.

"How do you know any witch is the wrong one unless you feel you've found the right one?" Molly mused, a triumphant smile playing across her lips. Charlie swore loudly, in his head. He also kept his eyes fixated on his plate and ran a hand nervously through his hair.

"I don't, I just know that forcing a relationship I don't want is as good as knowing a woman is the wrong one," Charlie tried but to no avail. Truth be told, even he didn't believe his words. He already knew none of the women he could possibly meet would ever hold a light to Hermione Granger. She was something else.

"Who is she?" Molly asked.

"Mum, there is no she," Charlie groaned.

"Sure there isn't," Bill smirked.

"Shut up William!" Charlie huffed and Molly grinned like the cat who'd got the cream.

"Because that's convincing," Hermione mumbled just loud enough for him to hear it. Charlie's heart did a funny little swoop as his eyes met her amused ones. "Just promise me she isn't some giddy, squealing schoolgirl?" Hermione whispered.

"If there is a she, I promise she's anything but that," Charlie whispered back, a smirk across his face. Hermione rolled her eyes and continued to eat, completely oblivious to the knowing look Bill was giving his little brother and the scowl Charlie was sending back. He knew there was no way Bill was going to leave it alone, and sure enough straight after dinner he'd been accosted by his big brother and forced to spill his guts. Bill had simply whistled at him, clapped him on the back and wished him luck, leaving Charlie to wonder whether saying it out loud was a relief or more of a burden.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - the one where he couldn't lie to his friends and nearly got busted by her too.

Back at school after Christmas and it didn't help that Sirius picked up on a change in Charlie's whole attitude. He'd spent the holidays in close proximity to Hermione and found himself in her company more often than not, even without wanting to be. They were usually the last to go to bed since they were always arguing or discussing some interesting topic they both had rather strong opinions about. She'd taken to giving him a kiss on the cheek as a goodnight gesture before leaving him alone in the front room, entirely unaware of the agony he found himself in. The softness of her lips against his cheek just seemed to remind him of the softness of them against his own. He couldn't be thinking this way about a student, he just couldn't! It didn't matter how he felt, he certainly couldn't make any kind of a move until she graduated. Coming back to Hogwarts and having no excuse to be around her all the hours of the day had made him a little melancholy, something Sirius found most interesting.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" Sirius nudged Charlie as he plopped himself down on the couch next to his red headed friend in the staff room.

"Nothing," Charlie scoffed. "Don't know what you're on about..."

"Sure you don't," Sirius smirked.

"Come on Weasley, everyone can see your in a bit of a funk," Lily said as she sat down opposite them.

"Am not," Charlie sulked.

"Are too," Sirius said.

"Am not!" Charlie huffed.

"Sirius-ly? You really wanna do this?" Sirius raised an eyebrow at him and Charlie gave him a deadpan look.

"Look, even if something was up with me, which it isn't, you can't help. I can't even say it out loud without the possibility of getting the sack!" Charlie groaned as he rubbed his hands over his eyes and down his face.

"You like a student," Lily said without question.

"What?!" Sirius' face morphed into one of shock.

"I don't...it's not like..." Charlie sighed knowing how pathetic he was at serious deception. Pranking he could do but flat out lying to his friends, he couldn't. "She's of age..." he ended with lamely.

"So wait till graduation," Lily said.

"Or sneak around and screw the repercussions if you get caught," Sirius said.

"Black! Don't encourage him to be so irresponsible! He holds a position of trust, he can't just ignore that!" Lily admonished the transfiguration teacher.

"Oh don't be so straight-laced Evans!" Sirius huffed. "If the woman in question wants to go for it I don't see the problem!"

"She wouldn't want to," Charlie said. "She doesn't feel the same way as me-"

"Have you asked her?" Lily interrupted.

"No, I don't need to," Charlie said.

"Unless you've heard her say the words 'Charlie, I don't like you that way' I'm not interested in whatever self-conceived ideas you have in your head," Lily said.

"She really doesn't though," Charlie said, shaking his head. "She's too brilliant to see me that way at all."

"Why wouldn't a brilliant woman see you that way?" Lily frowned.

"Because I'm an idiotic prankster who's almost completely irresponsible!" Charlie huffed.

"No you're not! You're smart, and intelligent! You'd have to be to come up with the shit you do, and not get caught!" Lily chuckled. "You're sweet and kind, you care a lot about a lot of things. You're pretty good-looking for a fairly young man-"

"Should I be worried?" Sirius asked.

"Please! If falling out of love with you was easy I'd have done it years ago!" Lily smirked at Sirius.

"Well, you are pretty smart Lils, if anyone could figure it out it would be you," he teased.

"Sirius Black, I'd have to actually want to try if I was ever going to figure out the how." She leant forward and pressed a light kiss to his lips. "See, there is hope Weasley. If someone like me can fall hopelessly in love with an idiot like him, I'd say you've got nothing to worry about."

"Hey!" Sirius cried in mock betrayal.

"You know it's true!" Lily laughed as she gave him one last kiss before walking out the door.

"Damn that woman knows her stuff!" Sirius sighed, a boyish grin plastered across his face.

"You're so bloody lucky," Charlie groaned.

"I'm not sure about that mate. Don't forget my best friend had to die for it to be possible..." Sirius said sadly.

"For the last time, you're not cheating on him and this is not revelling in his untimely death," Charlie said exasperatedly. "He'd be happy you both found love and happiness again, and that his son had a father as much like him as possible."

"I know..." Sirius said. "I just can't help it sometimes."

"Come on, we're supposed to be wallowing in my despair," Charlie said.

"Oh yes, sorry." Sirius shook himself off and turned back to Charlie. "So, who's the lucky student?"

"I'm not telling you that."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"I just, I wonder sometimes what might have happened if James had never died? You know? Would I ever have found someone-"

"Granger, okay!" Charlie cried and Sirius looked at him in shock.

"Granger? As in _the_ Hermione Granger? Bookworm extraordinaire? Gryffindor Princess? Goody-goody-two-shoes? Never broken a rule in her life? Lives in the library? Practically my surrogate daughter? That Granger?!"

"Have you finished?" Charlie scowled and Sirius nodded, dumbfounded. "She's not a goody-two-shoes, she has a wicked sense of humour, she just likes boundaries. And she's broken a hell of a lot of rules, she's just really good at not getting caught. She doesn't live in the library and there's nothing wrong with an educated woman who reads! She's brilliant and beautiful, smart and funny and she's so engaging and enthusiastic about everything...what d'you mean surrogate daughter?" Charlie suddenly felt a little sick.

"I mean, she's stayed with us every holiday since she started school. She goes home maybe one week in the summer and a couple days at Christmas. She's been an unofficially adopted member of our family since she was eleven." Sirius folded his arms and looked down at him, loving his upper hand.

"For fuck's sake!" Charlie groaned.

"Hermione Granger?" Sirius reiterated, still in disbelief

"Yes?" Hermione's head popped around the door and she frowned at the two men sat on the sofa. "I was just about to knock when I heard my name."

Charlie had turned such a brilliant shade of red that Sirius was trying to fight down a barking laugh.

"You sounded a little incredulous?" Hermione said. "What about me was it that shocked you?"

"I told him about Norbert," Charlie said quickly, taking the only thing he could think of and throwing it out there.

"Norbert?" Hermione frowned, walking into the room and sitting down beside Charlie.

"Yes, the beautiful baby dragon you and Harry helped smuggle off the top of the Astronomy tower first year," Charlie said.

"You what? _Harry_ what?!" Sirius gaped at the two of them.

"I thought you said you'd just told him?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, I have. He's still adjusting." Charlie smirked, having calmed himself slightly.

"You smuggled a baby dragon off the astronomy tower in your _first_ year?!" Sirius cried loudly.

"Shhhh!" Hermione screeched. "Someone might hear you!"

"Okay, now I see it," Sirius said, looking at Charlie with a wicked grin. Charlie glared back, a murderous look in his eye.

"See what?" Hermione frowned.

"Nothing," Sirius smiled, far too innocently for Hermione's liking. Charlie just hoped she hadn't noticed the pink return to his cheeks. "So the baby dragon?" Sirius asked, clasping his hands together and leaning forwards.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - the one where he assumed he could hide from the awful holiday that was Valentine's all by himself, a.k.a that time he couldn't engage his brain with his mouth before he spoke and nearly landed himself in it.

The moments came thick and fast after that. Flashes of random conversations, her brilliant brown eyes that sparkled the more passionate she was about a subject, her sweet little laugh at his more idiotic moments...it all rolled through his head as he stomped his way through the castle with his students at his heel.

Then Valentine's Day started to play at the forefront of his mind and he felt his heart clench painfully.

"Charlie, what're you doing?" Ron frowned at his older brother currently squeezing himself onto the Gryffindor bench for breakfast, in between him and Hermione.

"It's Valentine's Day," Charlie whispered as a way of explanation.

"And?" Hermione asked.

"And, if you hadn't noticed, a good percentage of the female population in this school all fancy me," he hissed.

"No, I noticed," she said. "I'm just wondering why that means you're sat here for breakfast?"

"Because I'm trying to avoid the owls," he said.

"The owls?" Hermione chuckled.

"Yes, the owls! I don't want a ton of cards and gifts," he whined.

"You'll still get them all sat here," she laughed.

"I have a cunning plan," Charlie said, winking at her.

"And what is this plan?" Hermione raised her eyebrows at him.

"Well, firstly, it was to engage you in conversation," he said.

"Why?"

"Because everyone assumes we're having some useless debate so they stop paying attention to us," he said, looking around to see no one was watching them.

"Point taken," Hermione said with a frown. "Now what?"

"Now, I'm going to hide under the table and you're going to pass me my breakfast." He grinned before slipping straight off the bench and landing at her feet.

Hermione smiled to herself and groaned. She couldn't argue with him, they were pretty invisible to most of the others and apparently even alone she couldn't be seen. She swiped a plate of croissants and passed them under the table before grabbing two cups of coffee and placing them on the bench. Giving her friends one quick glance to make sure they really weren't paying any attention, she slipped off the bench and joined Charlie underneath the table.

"What are you doing?" He whispered.

"What does it look like?" She smirked, handing him coffee and taking a croissant for herself. She folded her legs and sat straight opposite him, their knees touching for lack of space.

"Why are you hiding out under here with me?"

"Because I hate Valentines and because once you left I had no one to talk to," she huffed. "Ron started snogging Lav-Lav's face off and Harry was too preoccupied with watching what your sister was doing."

"Why is Harry watching Ginny?" Charlie growled.

"Because he fell in love with her last year and hasn't been able to get up the courage to ask her out," she said.

"He's Harry Potter, he doesn't have confidence issues."

"He very much does when it comes to something important, and to him Ginny is important." Hermione smiled softly at him. "Harry can ask out any girl he likes with all the charm and confidence of a playboy like Malfoy, but Ginny isn't any girl to him. It matters if she rejects him."

"Still don't like it," Charlie huffed.

"I don't think you're supposed to, you're her big brother," Hermione laughed. She went quiet before speaking again. "It's like you and this mystery student you like."

"How is it?" Charlie frowned, his cheeks tinging pink. "I mean, what are you talking about?"

"Nice try," Hermione smirked before answering his first question. "Well, you're Charlie Weasley, you've never had trouble asking a woman out before." She shrugged as though it was obvious. "This girl is obviously something special or she wouldn't be driving you so crazy. I get that she's still a student, but dragon-keeper Charlie Weasley wouldn't be falling apart whilst waiting for graduation. Not unless you were seriously falling for her."

"I am _not_ falling for her," Charlie denied. "There might be someone I like, but falling in love is a stretch too far."

Hermione scoffed at that. "You keep telling yourself that."

"It's true!"

"Charlie, you're hiding out under a table because you don't want to face Valentine's Day! I'm assuming you're not expecting a card or gift from this mystery woman?"

"No," he grumbled.

"Look, if she's not one of your giggling fangirls..." Hermione chuckled at Charlie's grimace. "...then she likely thinks it would be inappropriate to send you something since she is a student and you are a teacher. And considering the mess you are right now, I'm sure she knows how you feel without you having to tell her. She's just waiting for graduation to reciprocate."

"What makes you think she knows how I feel?" Charlie looked sick.

"Because I would imagine you're a blubbering mess around her?" Hermione said.

"I'm actually not," Charlie said, suddenly very aware that he was always able to be himself around Hermione.

"And you're not falling in love with her?" Hermione chuckled.

"No," he sulked but did not sound convincing.

"Just be patient. If it was me, I'd be more concerned you'd lose your job than anything else."

"If it was you...?" Charlie smirked.

"Yes, if. Which it obviously isn't! I know that! I was just trying to give you a little insight into how a girl's mind works!" She huffed.

"What makes you think it's not you?" Charlie asked, not sure what the hell he was playing at.

"Come on! Look at me! I'm not exactly the eye catching type!" She chuckled. Charlie frowned because that hurt, it hurt him to know that's how she saw herself.

"Hermione, you're gorgeous," he said without thinking. His incredulous tone at her disbelief made her smile fall a little bit.

"Charlie, it takes a whole bottle of sleek-easy's to make this mass of hair tameable!" Hermione said. "I'm not saying I'm ugly, I'm just saying I'm not all that beautiful."

"Except you are," he said, wanting to kick himself for not shutting up.

"You really need to stop before I do start wondering if it's me you've got a crush on," she laughed nervously.

 _It's not a crush!_ Charlie thought to himself and groaned inwardly when he realised that Hermione was right, as always. He bloody well was falling in love with her!

Before he could say anything or she could comment some more on how unattractive she apparently thought she was, the legs and feet of all the other students sitting at the table began disappearing. The two nodded in silent agreement and watched until every set of legs had left the hall before Charlie snuck out from under the table.

"I figured it was safer to leave once everyone was gone," he murmured. Hermione followed him, stumbling as she climbed out from the bench. Charlie reached out and caught her, laughing as she fell into his chest.

"Yes, can you imagine the scandalous rumours had any of the students seen the Head Girl sneak out from under the table with a Professor on Valentine's Day?" Hermione chuckled herself, looking up into his smiling blue eyes. The minute her chocolate coloured orbs locked into his, he thought he'd melted. It took every ounce of self control and the interruption of Sirius coming back into the room to stop him from kissing her right there and then.

"There you are!" Sirius yelled, causing the two to jump apart.

"I'm coming!" Charlie said.

"I've returned your prank to you by the way." Sirius smirked as Charlie sighed. "Forwarding all your owls to me for the day was rather ingenious, but I took the liberty of returning all your letters to you. They're in your room, ready to be listened to."

"Listened to?" Charlie frowned.

"Yeah, as payback I put a dictation charm on them, so you get to hear every word that every person wrote to you...in Mcgonagall's dreamy voice!" Sirius barked his laughter.

"Are you serious?!" Charlie cried.

"Why yes I am, and who might you be?" He grinned.

"The friend who's going to beat you round the head with a stick before telling your girlfriend about number six," Charlie growled.

"You wouldn't!" Sirius gasped.

"I bloody would!" Charlie hissed.

"Number six?" Hermione finally spoke up.

"Why hello Miss Granger, I forgot you were here, previously in the arms of one Professor Weasley I believe?" Sirius grinned as Hermione blushed profusely.

"I fell..." she stuttered.

"And what a wonderful coincidence that was, wouldn't you say?" He smirked.

"Sirius..." Charlie warned. "Leave her alone."

"What? I'm just pointing out an observation I made. Like how it conveniently followed the pair of you crawling out from under the table..." he raised his eyebrows in question.

"That was to avoid the owls so they wouldn't get confused, and to avoid you because I knew you'd be pissed!" Charlie argued.

"Well, I believe we can null and void your number six threat? Now that your secret rendezvous with Hermione would be your number twenty eight?" Sirius grinned.

"Twenty seven!" Charlie said.

"Twenty eight, remember? That thing with the blast-ended skrewt?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that!" Charlie laughed.

"What are you two on about?" Hermione frowned and folded her arms.

"Oh don't you get up on your high horse, Miss I-smuggled-a-baby-dragon-out-of-the-castle-when-I-was-eleven!" Sirius smirked.

"We have a sort of blackmail list on each other," Charlie explained. "The sort of stuff that would get each other into some trouble if we accidentally let it slip."

"Define trouble?" Hermione said.

"Getting sacked, imprisonment in Azkaban, being dumped, possible banishment from the magical world..." Sirius listed as Hermione's brows rose higher and higher.

"That was one time!" Charlie hissed.

"And we're taught by you two? You're supposed to be our role models?" Hermione shook her head in amusement and mock despair.

"Don't give us that, we have two on you now!" Sirius grinned.

"Two?" Hermione frowned.

"Norbert and the private breakfast you just shared." Sirius winked before strolling out the door.

"Sorry." Charlie shrugged sheepishly.

"You will be," Hermione huffed as she headed for the doors.

"I didn't make you join me!" He cried, following her.

"I'm still blaming you," she said, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Bye Charlie and thanks for breakfast." She kissed him lightly on the cheek and Charlie felt his stomach drop. This was getting harder by the minute.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - the one where he hadn't humoured his mother and found a witch to date, round 2. (Also, that time his sister figured it out.)

Easter holidays were on them faster than they'd hoped, Charlie hadn't seen much of Hermione over the last few weeks since she was always studying. She'd agreed, albeit reluctantly, to accompany Ron to the Burrow this Easter, along with Harry and his parents. Lupin and his wife were also going to pop in over the Easter Sunday too. Her parents never seemed too interested in seeing her, something she always brushed off but he was starting to get the feeling actually bothered her. He accompanied the trio on the train ride home, glaring daggers at Harry the entire ride while he made goo-goo eyes at his sister. Hermione nudged him a few times in an attempt to break his death glare.

"Stop it!" She hissed.

"Stop what? I'm not doing anything!" He hissed back.

"I sincerely hope you aren't going to spend the entire holiday causing problems with Harry in an attempt to forget about your favourite student?" She smirked.

"Favourite student?" Charlie frowned.

"Yes, you know, that one you're in love with?" She said.

"Ah yes, that one," he grimaced.

"So you finally admit you love her then?" Hermione asked.

"No," Charlie said. He would say he was falling in love with her, wouldn't say he'd quite got there yet. There was still the matter of actually dating her and he believed you couldn't really love a woman like that unless you were dating her. It just didn't make sense otherwise because you didn't really know her.

"Right..." she said, in that tone that meant she was entirely unconvinced. If Harry wasn't so interested in Ginny and Ginny wasn't so interested in pretending she hadn't noticed, and Ron wasn't ten seconds away from practically shagging Lavender in front of them, Charlie might have felt a little uncomfortable with this conversation.

"I'm not in love with her," he demanded.

"Of course you aren't," Hermione smirked as she began perusing her book again.

"I'm serious!" He hissed, trying to keep his voice down.

"I'd rather you weren't, that man is a nightmare!" Hermione laughed.

"Oh piss off Granger, I get enough of the serious Sirius jokes from him," Charlie grumbled.

"Now that's a joke, a serious Sirius," she chuckled and he laughed along with her.

"What are you reading?" He asked.

"Book about Dragons," she said.

"I'm offended."

"Why?"

"Because whatever is in there you could have learnt from me if you'd just asked!"

"I wasn't looking for anything specific to learn," she said. "Sorry, if I'd had a particular question I'd have come straight to you."

"Fine, what exactly is it about?" He huffed.

"Some bloke who set up some sort of reserve and went out looking for dragons to put in it," she answered. "It's his biography."

"Can I read it with you and correct all his preposterous embellishments and mistakes?" Charlie asked.

"If you must," Hermione smirked, moving the book over a little and shuffling to rest her head on Charlie's shoulder. Charlie gulped and mentally berated himself for even suggesting it. He forced his eyes to travel to the book and then forced his brain to actually read the words. Once he'd accomplished that, becoming himself again was pretty easy.

"Okay, that's absolutely ridiculous!" He pointed at a sentence. "Hungarian Horntails are impossible to rope single handedly, I don't care how bloody small it was!"

Hermione chuckled as she continued to read and Charlie continued to pick apart nearly every other sentence. Some instances Hermione would agree with him, others she'd disagree and would argue why, but most of the time she would laugh and giggle and let him carry on slating the poor man who wrote the book. By the end of the journey, Charlie had an arm wrapped around Hermione, her head resting on his chest and the two of them chuckling at all the absurd stories the biographer was telling. Everyone else had fallen asleep a few hours ago so as the train pulled into 9 & 3/4, they were all awoken to a small lurch and Charlie quickly pulled away from Hermione before they were caught snuggling.

Climbing off the platform, they were greeted by an overenthusiastic Molly. She swooped them all into vice-like hugs before herding them towards the apparition point.

"Come on now, come on! I've left our lovely guest at home on her own!" She tittered.

"Who's that?" Ron frowned.

"You'll see," Molly said happily. "Lovely girl with nowhere to go for the holidays."

"I thought we already had a full house?" Ginny said.

"One more won't make much difference," Molly said. "She can share with you and Hermione."

"I don't think so!" Ginny screeched. "I don't even know who she is!"

"Hush, you'll love her when you meet her," Molly said.

"Not bloody likely," Ginny mumbled. "I've never liked surprises."

Hermione chuckled quietly and shared an understanding glance with Ginny. Ron just shrugged and kissed (sucked) Lavender goodbye. Charlie swallowed thickly, convinced his mother was setting him up. The lot of them apparated to the Burrow and sure enough were met with a tall, brunette woman who had Bambi eyes to boot. She smiled warmly at the small party, her eyes lingering on Charlie.

"Anastasia, these are my children," Molly said with a flourish. "This is Ron-" she gestured to him as he waved nonchalantly at their new guest. "-Ginny-" who gave the stranger a skeptical look. "-Hermione, such a good friend of our family that she might as well be family anyway-" Hermione smiled at the young woman while Charlie briefly wondered if he ever could make her family before scaring himself shitless and burying the thought immediately. "-and Charlie, my second eldest. He's been teaching at Hogwarts this past year." Charlie grinned in as friendly a manner as he could whilst feeling as though he was being eyed up like a piece of meat.

"It's so very nice to meet you all," Anastasia said, without taking her eyes off Charlie.

Ginny sniggered and bumped Hermione's shoulder, gesturing to the stairs. Charlie heard his sister whisper, "she won't last long in this house..." as they ascended to her bedroom. Ron wasn't far behind which left him stood in the front room with his mother and Anastasia.

"I was just saying to Ana that you'd be more than happy to take her to Diagon Alley and show her around tomorrow, Charlie..." Molly nodded at him encouragingly.

"Yeah, that's fine. The girls were saying on the train that they wanted to go shopping soon," Charlie said. Molly's face fell a little and Anastasia's smile became a little more fake. "I'm going to head over to Bill's before tea, I want to catch up quickly. Won't be long though mum, love you." He smiled despite the glaring daggers she was giving him, kissing her on the cheek before dashing off to the floo. "Nice to meet you Anastasia, see you in a bit."

.

Charlie came back exactly on time and not a minute sooner. He unfortunately found himself seated next to his mother's new guest and opposite the girl he'd rather be talking to.

"How was Bill?" Hermione asked.

"Good, he was good," Charlie said evasively. Bill was brilliant, especially after hearing Charlie tell him he was still hung up on Hermione and their mother was trying to set him up with a woman he couldn't be less interested in.

"And Fleur?" She asked politely.

"Good, same as Bill," Charlie said. Fleur had found the whole thing bloody hilarious. "They'll be over for tea one night this week, said they'd owl you the details mum."

"Well that will be nice," Molly smiled. "On a slightly different note, what time are you all leaving for the shops tomorrow?"

"Not sure yet," Charlie said, shooting Ginny and Hermione pleading looks.

"Are the girls still going with you and Ana?" Molly asked, far less subtly than she thought.

"What?" Ginny frowned.

"Yes, if that's still okay with you?" Hermione answered, almost at the exact same time. Charlie could kiss her. Well, if it wasn't totally inappropriate.

"Yeah, of course it is!" He said, a little too enthusiastically. It was the moment Hermione kicked Ginny in the shin to shut her up that had him nearly confessing his feelings for the woman. She didn't even look up from her plate or acknowledge Ginny's furious glare, but instead turned to Ron and asked him if he would be joining them too.

"Yeah I might," he said. "I could meet Lav there if I owl her tonight."

"Sounds like a great idea," Hermione forced herself to smile at the thought of having to watch the two of them outside of school, where there were quite a few less boundaries. Ginny raised her eyebrows at Hermione, a motion she promptly ignored again.

"So, what time are we leaving?" Hermione asked Charlie.

"Up to you, whenever you want," he replied.

"Have you any preference Anastasia?" Hermione said, the young woman in question sneering at her. Hermione, however, was too used to Draco Malfoy and his many aristocratic expressions, so she barely noticed it.

"None whatsoever," Anastasia said sweetly.

"Brilliant, shall we leave at, say, eleven?" Hermione asked the table.

"Eleven?" Ginny frowned.

"It's the first day of the holidays, I am not getting out of bed before half ten!" Hermione laughed.

"You can be ready to leave in half an hour?!" Anastasia looked incredulously at her.

"Yes, I prefer my sleep to my beauty," Hermione chuckled. "I usually go with the 'just rolled out of bed look' with added minimum effort. It often comes across as 'dragged through a hedge backwards' but I'm used to it." She shrugged. "Besides, I don't have the money to buy a bottle of sleek-easy a day."

"It would be a waste of a bottle," Charlie said. "It looks better natural anyway."

Ginny frowned at him and Hermione went a little red. Anastasia looked between the two of them before narrowing her eyes at Hermione. Molly was oblivious to all this and Ron as always, wasn't paying much attention to begin with.

"Well, apparently you'd be the first person to actually think so," she murmured.

"Granger-"

"So! Eleven tomorrow?" Hermione reiterated, shifting awkwardly and looking anywhere but at Charlie.

"Yeah, eleven," he said, his shoulders sagging a little as his mood dropped. He began picking at his food and wanted nothing more than to sulk upstairs for the duration of the holidays. Hermione cutting him off like that practically cut through him. He was sure she axed him so she wouldn't have to let him down gently. He sighed, thinking about how he could make it up to her a little bit. He didn't want her to feel weird around him, he hated the idea that she wouldn't want to spend any time with him. Ginny caught his eye as he looked up briefly and he groaned internally, preparing himself for another talk along the same lines he'd had with Bill. He stopped picking at his food and began angrily stabbing at it instead, frustrated with his own infernal monologue and the fact that he couldn't keep his trap shut. He just hated when Hermione brought herself down-

"Did the chicken offend you in some way?" Hermione chuckled, interrupting Charlie's thoughts and causing him to lift his head and eye her curiously.

"As a matter of fact, it did," he said.

"That particular chicken?" She laughed.

"Yes, this particular chicken." He grinned at her, relief washing over him and hope beginning to instil itself back in his heart. "It clucked at me funny."

"It what?" Anastasia frowned.

"Clucked at me funny," Charlie said, trying not to snort at the refined woman sat next to him.

"Clucked..." Hermione said, making chicken noises and bobbing her head. Charlie barked a laugh and tried to contain his roars of amusement but to no avail. Hermione sat opposite him in hysterics as both Molly and Anastasia gave the pair dirty looks. Ginny looked thoughtfully at the two and Ron just joined in, commending Hermione for her fantastic impression of a chicken.

.

"So, Hermione, huh?" Ginny said as she let herself into his bedroom.

"Come on Gin, you could at least knock! I could have been up to anything in here!" Charlie huffed as his little sister sat crossed legged on the end of his bed.

"It wouldn't be the first time I've walked in on you doing something disgusting, why'd you think I had my eyes shut?!" Ginny said.

"I hate you," Charlie grumbled in that sincere but affectionate way only siblings can say it.

"You'll get over it," Ginny grinned. "Besides, I need to talk to you, about Hermione."

"What about Granger?" Charlie feigned confusion.

"About how you're totally into her," she said.

"Am not," Charlie said.

"Are to," Gin retaliated.

"Am not."

"Are to."

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Not!"

"To!"

"Not!"

"To!"

"Not!"

"Charlie Weasley if you don't tell me this instant how you really feel I will march down those stairs and tell her you have the hots for her right now!" Ginny barked.

"You wouldn't?!" Charlie's voice went up a few octaves and he looked at his sister in slight panic.

"Oh I bloody well would, and you know it!" Ginny smirked. "The question is, which woman would I tell?" She cackled as Charlie scowled at her. "It would be equally as awful for me to tell darling Anastasia that you like her, would it not?"

"I hate you," Charlie said again.

"I know, but forgetting that..." Ginny folded her arms and stared defiantly at her big brother.

"Okay fine!" Charlie flung his arms up in the air with a huff. "I like Hermione, okay?!" The eyes of his little sister softened as she took in his defeated demeanour. He sighed and shook his head, looking at the young woman eight years his junior and that he'd known her whole life, pleading with her for an answer.

"Charlie, do you like her as in you find her attractive and wouldn't mind some fun? Or-"

"That other one," Charlie grumbled before Ginny got any further.

"Any chance you could define 'that other one' for me?" She said.

"Is that a request or a demand?"

"Which one do you think?"

Charlie groaned before dropping his head into his hands. He wasn't even sure himself, he just knew that Hermione was currently the only woman he could think about. He wasn't interested in anyone else and hadn't been since she'd kissed him.

"I...I wouldn't want the fun to end," he said.

"Anastasia is pretty attractive," Ginny said. Charlie grimaced. "You know she is, you're not blind."

"Doesn't matter, I'm not interested."

"What if I told you Hermione was seeing someone?" Ginny asked tentatively, gaining her answer as a panicked and heartbroken look swept across her big brother's face before he managed to twist it into one of indifference. "Charlie, are you in love with Hermione?"

"No!" He said, far too quickly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Because she's one of my best friends and I don't think I could ever forgive you if you had a little fun and then broke her heart..." Ginny looked at him seriously. "I love you, you're my big brother. But I really would find it hard not to hate you if the fun stopped and you got bored..."

"Please, Granger doesn't have a boring bone in her body!" Charlie scoffed.

"You really did mean it when you said you prefer her hair all big and poofy, didn't you?" Ginny smiled.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it Gin," he sighed, dragging his hands down his face.

"You know the reason why she cut across you was because she can't deal with compliments right?" Ginny smirked.

"What?"

"She hates being told she's even remotely attractive," Ginny said. "She doesn't know how to react to that kind of comment."

"But..." Charlie frowned, somewhat angrily. "But that would imply she's not often told she's attractive."

"She isn't," Ginny said. "I know a lot of boys like her but she's pretty intimidating, I don't think she realises how unapproachable she is in the romantic sense."

"Stupid boys," Charlie grumbled.

"So, if you were worried she doesn't see you that way, I don't think you should be," she smiled. "I'm not saying she definitely likes you the way you like her, I'm just saying that her shutting you down like that doesn't mean she's not into you too."

"But you said she was seeing someone?" Charlie looked at her in confusion.

"No, I said 'what if I told you she was seeing someone?', I never actually said she was seeing someone," Ginny chuckled. "I wanted to see your reaction so I could work out how deep you already are."

"And?"

"Well, you think you're hanging on to the edge of the hole," Ginny said, a slow smirk creeping onto her face. "But you're really in a free fall, the top of the hole isn't even much of a speck if you ask me."

"I'm not in love with her," Charlie huffed.

"You keep telling yourself that," Ginny said. "Especially when you're pushing food around your plate because of something she said or did."

"It wasn't like that! I was thinking!" Charlie argued.

"Nope, you were feeling rejected, and anxious that you'd screwed everything up." She shook her head at her oblivious brother. "My guess is you aren't far off being unable to eat and sleep and think, all because of her."

Charlie sat and thought about it. He was eating and sleeping and thinking fine. He generally ate with her and had been since Valentine's. Both him and Sirius had taken to sitting with the students at meal times, Lily and Remus even joining them quite frequently. He slept like a baby, refusing to admit his dreams were largely all about Hermione. And he could think just fine, again, most of his thoughts were about her but just because she was on his mind a lot it didn't mean he loved her. Well, he did love her, he'd known her far too long not to. But he wasn't _in_ love with her, and that had to be the difference. Surely that made all the difference.

Ginny smiled as she watched her brother think, she removed herself from his bed and told him she'd see him tomorrow for their Diagon Alley trip. She also mentioned that Hermione was still downstairs should he want to go talk to her like he did the whole of the Christmas holidays. Charlie decided that might not be the best of ideas tonight, so he got ready for bed and shut himself in his room for the night, trying to read and refusing to acknowledge that he couldn't focus on the page.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - the one where he took her shopping along with the stranger his mum was trying to set him up with, his little sister and his oblivious little brother.

Eleven o'clock rolled round the next morning and Charlie, Anastasia and Ron all stood patiently waiting by the fireplace.

"Ginerva!" Hermione practically screamed as she stomped down the stairs. "Hurry the hell up!"

"What's wrong with you?" Ron frowned. "Get up on the wrong side of the bed?" He snorted.

"Yes that's exactly what I did Ronald, I woke up in the bloody wall, which would account for my terrible mood!" Hermione sniped.

"Alright! I was only asking!" Ron held his hands up in surrender. "Blimey Hermione, there's no need to bite a bloke's head off!"

"There's every bloody need!" She hissed, scowling at the stairs as she waited for Ginny. Charlie raised his eyebrows at her as she caught his eye and watched her glare soften slightly before his sister appeared.

"Finally!" Hermione huffed, stepping forward and throwing some powder in the fireplace. She called out Fred and George's address before stepping in and swirling away.

"I didn't know we were going to the twins' shop first," Ron frowned.

"Neither did I," Charlie said, begrudgingly holding his arm out for Anastasia. She wasn't keyed into their wards so she would have to be escorted there. Charlie would kill Hermione later.

He stepped out from the fireplace not two minutes after the bushy haired witch and was met with a bewildered Fred and George, neither of which were fully dressed.

"Who let her leave the house without coffee and breakfast?!" Fred demanded.

"Don't look at me!" Charlie held his hands up. "She only came down the stairs ten minutes ago."

"What's up?" Ginny frowned as she came through the floo, Ron a few seconds behind.

"Granger, she's on one." George glared at his little sister and she had the good grace to squirm nervously.

"Food! I need food!" Hermione yelled as she stalked out of the kitchen.

"Yes alright love," Fred cooed. "We'll sort it."

"Any chance you want to tell us why you're in such a lovely mood?" George asked gently.

"Piss off Gred, I'm in a shitty mood! There's no need to bloody bullshit me!" She snapped.

"Do I get an answer?" He asked. "I know you're crabby when you wake up but this is fucking mental..."

"Ginerva," Hermione snarled.

"What did you do?!" Both twins rounded on their sister.

"Nothing! I didn't do anything!" Ginny cried.

"You woke me up at bloody eight thirty because you found out a certain fucking someone was going to be in Diagon Alley today, which would have been fine if you hadn't then pushed me, pulled me and pressurised me into making a fucking effort only to change your bloody mind ten minutes before we were supposed to be leaving!" Hermione screeched.

"Hermione-" Ginny tried.

"I sleak-easy-d my god-awful hair Ginny!" She shrieked.

"It doesn't look any different to me?" Ron frowned.

"Well it wouldn't, would it! She accidentally sprayed me with water before we left, although I'm not entirely sure how you mix up a water spell with a freaking hairspray spell!" Hermione cried.

"I said I was sorry!" Ginny said, giving Charlie a sheepish shrug when Hermione wasn't looking.

"Half past bloody eight!" Hermione raged. "And she didn't even feed me!"

Fred decided enough was probably enough, swooping around Hermione, picking her up and carrying her to the kitchen over his shoulder. Her shrill cries resounded throughout the flat, much like the hard slap to Fred's bare chest that she then gave him.

Charlie looked at George for an answer, one the younger twin was having trouble giving since he was laughing at his brother's misfortune. It was at this point Charlie realised Anastasia was practically oggling his twin brothers. Both of them were dressed in sweat pants and had no shirts on, their muscular chests on display for all to see. Since most of them were all family it didn't really matter, but Anastasia seemed a bit flustered and at a loss for words. Something Charlie noted that Hermione was not. He wasn't sure whether he should he happy about that or a little disturbed at how close his twin brothers must be to her for that to be the case. After all, he'd never seen her all that flustered around anyone, so it could be that Hermione Granger just didn't get flustered.

Truth be told, the twins knew Hermione very well. They'd managed to acquire her skills and expertise in their inventive endeavours by slyly pointing out that people were less likely to get hurt if she helped them. She'd been just as surprised as they were at how well they worked together, and she was also pleasantly surprised at how intelligent and talented each of them were. That was how they knew each other so well, because they'd stayed up working at all different hours on random different products and ideas. It was primarily how both Fred and George knew not to engage her or get her angry before coffee and a decent breakfast.

.

Charlie wandered into the kitchen after Fred and Hermione, leaving Ginny and Ron to introduce George to Anastasia and explain who Fred was (although after seeing George there wasn't much need for any information except Fred's name).

"Right, there is coffee," Fred said irritably as he handed Hermione her cup. "Now, if you're a good witch and you go sit over on the sofa patiently, without getting snarky at anyone, I will make you pancakes-" Fred smirked as Hermione squealed. "But you have to promise you'll be good and wait nicely."

"I promise," Hermione beamed. "But am I allowed to sit in here?"

"Are you going to hit me again?" Fred asked.

"No," she said guilty. "Sorry Forge..."

"Apology accepted Her-mi-o-ninny," Fred chuckled and pointed a reprimanding finger at her scowl. "Come on, up you jump..."

Charlie wasn't really sure how to feel as he watched Fred put his hands on Hermione's waist and help her up onto the counter.

"Thanks Fred."

"No worries love."

Charlie watched the exchange contemplatively. His brother was obviously very comfortable around Hermione, and if they were dating he was sure he'd have kissed her by now. There was no way they were secretly dating because they'd have been at opposite ends of the room trying to make a point of not touching. Charlie had no choice but to conclude that they were just very good friends and he'd hazard a guess her relationship with George was exactly the same. Still, it was close enough for feelings to grow and he shifted uncomfortably at the thought of that.

He'd had to accept that Hermione might never feel the same way he did, he knew that was a real possibility. He'd never had to entertain the idea that she might feel that way about a brother of his. Thinking about having to watch her with one of his siblings made him want to wretch, he wasn't sure he could stand by and be happy about that. He'd be happy they were happy but he knew that it would end up with his permanent move back to Romania. _But you're not in love with her?_ came Ginny's voice in his head. He stomped on the sound and inwardly growled.

"You okay there big brother?" Fred frowned. "You look like you're having some internal debate?"

"Nah, just tired and haven't had coffee yet either," he sighed, shaking himself out of it.

"I'd offer you a cup," Fred said as he moved about the kitchen making pancake batter, "but Granger got the last of it."

"It's a big mug, I'll share it with you," she offered. Fred dropped the pan he'd just picked up, a loud bang reverberating across the floor.

"You feeling alright Granger?" Fred looked at her with wide eyes as he watched Charlie take the coffee from her outstretched hand, swallow a mouthful and give it back, thanking her softly.

"I'm fine," she said, narrowed eyes directed at the twin.

"If you say so." A mischievous smirk flickered across Fred's face as he winked at her. Charlie frowned, noticing a slight blush crawl up her cheeks when she realised he'd seen her little interaction with his brother.

Fred began cooking pancakes and a wonderful smell filled the air and sent their stomachs rumbling.

"So, the girl?" Fred asked as he flipped one.

"Her name is Anastasia, we're showing her round town since she'll be staying with us over Easter," Charlie explained.

"Also known as, Charlie hasn't got a girlfriend so your mum is trying to set him up," Hermione snickered at the scowl he shot her way.

"Wow, and she thinks she knows her children," Fred chuckled.

"I know, tell me about it," Charlie chuckled back.

"What d'you mean?" Hermione frowned.

"The lovely Anastasia is so not Charlie-boy's type, at all." Fred grinned and Charlie smirked. "She's the type he's used to picking up for a bit of fun, but not the type he'd ever date in the long term sense."

"Why do I get the feeling you taught them more than pranks?" She raised her eyebrows at him humorously.

"Because he did," Fred said. "He taught us almost everything we know, including that one thing I told you about that had you turning the colour of a tomato and you said made you-"

"Shut up Fred!" Hermione barked, her face bright red and a mortified look stealing her features.

"Looks like I'm not the only one sharing," Charlie smirked, looking between the two of them.

"Explicit daydream charms," Hermione mumbled. "I was stupid enough to ask exactly what they were thinking of putting in them."

"Please tell me you tried one if you indeed made one?" Charlie teased, loving the embarrassed flush that was getting her more and more flustered. Maybe Hermione Granger could be rankled in that way after all.

"I did no such thing!" She shrieked.

"Apparently she didn't need to," Fred said. "My description combined with her imagination was enough."

"Fred!" Hermione hissed.

"Well, you did learn from the best," Charlie laughed, content to see that the pair of them really were just friends and happy to find out he could make Hermione squirm. He just had to discover whether it was him or the subject content that was doing it.

"I wouldn't go that far mate, I reckon the student has become the master!" Fred grinned.

"In your dreams," Charlie scoffed.

"Whatever," Fred said. "I guess we'll never know. Unless you want to roll in the hay with the new girl, and then I'll have a go after you and we can ask her who was the best?"

"You are disgusting little brother," Charlie grimaced. "I don't even know why Mum thought I'd like her!"

"Are you kidding me?" Hermione looked disbelievingly at him. "She's bloody gorgeous!"

"What?!" Charlie glared. "Okay, you are not allowed to comment on anyone else's beauty until you've learnt to accept your own." He folded his arms and gave her a challenging look.

"Would you quit telling me shit like that," Hermione huffed.

"If you quit bringing yourself down and start actually believing it!" Charlie huffed back.

"I don't bring myself down! I merely live in reality!" She growled.

"I'm not arguing about this," Charlie said. "If you don't want to be told your beautiful, don't start telling me women like Anastasia are."

"But she is..." Hermione pleaded, a little confused. "I'm just telling the truth!"

"And if you can't be nice, don't say anything at all. Even if it's you you're not being nice to," Charlie said.

"I never said anything about me! You said that!" Hermione cried.

"Yes, and you insist on contradicting me every time I do!"

"Because it's nonsense! You cannot put me in the same league as someone like Anastasia!"

"I'm not! I'm putting you in a league several feet above hers!"

"Now that is just ludicrous!" Hermione folded her arms angrily. "It's sweet, what you're trying to do but seriously Charlie, I don't need to be told I'm gorgeous when it isn't true! I'm not an idiot and it's just condescending when I know it's a farce!"

"You are infuriating," Charlie snapped. "Why is it so hard for you to fathom that a bloke might actually think you're attractive?!"

"Because I'm not! Not every girl on the bloody planet is pretty or beautiful or drop dead gorgeous!" Hermione barked. "And I am more than happy knowing that I'm not one of them! Merlin man! Why is it so important for you to make me believe I am?" She sighed in frustration. "My natural hair is three times the size of my head it poofs out that much, my skin is pale and freckly because I hole myself up indoors reading most days and unless it's warm and sunny I don't often see natural light for more than a few minutes a day, I'm not exactly skinny or toned, I never wear anything particularly flattering because I prefer not to draw attention to myself..." she paused to look Charlie directly in the eye, unsure as to why he was looking so upset with her. "I may sound like I'm putting myself down, but I'm not. I'm just being realistic. I know that someday, in the future, at some point, there will be a guy who sees all this and for some unbeknown reason to me and everyone else, sees the most beautiful woman in the world. And I'm okay with that. I'm okay with waiting for that. Why aren't you?"

"Hey Granger, maybe he's the guy?" Fred said, frowning seriously at his big brother.

"Oh fuck off Fred! That's hilarious, and bloody ridiculous! He took girls like Anastasia home as play things. There's no way I'm his permanent type." Hermione jumped off the counter. "I'm going to wait in the lounge for pancakes."

.

"You know, you could just tell her she is your type," Fred said after she was out of earshot.

"And what makes you think that?" Charlie huffed.

"Okay, now you're being ridiculous," Fred laughed. "It's bloody obvious mate."

"Not to her apparently," Charlie huffed. "And I'm not sure whether it's something that I'm frustrated or relieved by."

"Well, you can't do anything till she leaves school, because technically she's still a student," Fred said.

"I know, and I wouldn't want to cross that line, but...I just wish she'd take me seriously sometimes. Or at the very least see that I'm being sincere." Charlie groaned as he rubbed his hands over his face.

"Well, I'm pretty sure she fancies the pants off you so it's no wonder she takes your compliments badly," Fred said.

"What?!" Charlie's jaw dropped and he looked at Fred in surprise. His heart sped up and his palms began sweating.

"She never shares anything, least of all her bloody morning coffee," Fred said. "So she must like you, a lot. And if I have assumed correctly, you telling her you think she's good looking is going to set her on edge and make her feel pretty shitty."

"Why?" Charlie frowned.

"Merlin! And you thought you were the ladies' man?!" Fred snorted. "Because if she does like you I'm pretty sure she thinks you'll never see her that way, what with practically watching her grow up combined with now being her teacher, it's not something she's ever going to entertain being possible. And you make it that much harder for her when you tell her things that contradict that." He sighed. "You're going to have to wait it out till she's left school and you can tell her outright."

"I shouldn't be feeling this way," Charlie mumbled.

"Why not?" Fred frowned. "You're right, she's an attractive girl. A quality greatly increased by her lack of knowledge on that fact."

"Because! She _is_ a student and I _have_ watched her grow up!" Charlie huffed. "I've known of little Hermione Granger since she was eleven! I met her when she was fourteen...I was twenty one!"

"Yes, and if you'd wanted to pounce on her then, I might agree with you. But Charlie...she's eighteen, nearly nineteen. And you were never really around like that when she was a kid, you sort of saw her as a child and then came back when she was a woman...there's nothing wrong with how you feel now." Fred gave his brother a sympathetic look. "She's one of a kind, I can't fault you for seeing that."

"But you see it," Charlie said. "How come you've never acted on it?"

"Because I see it in the same way I see the same thing in Ginny," Fred said, looking disgustedly at Charlie. "Please never mention the idea I might see her as more, ever again."

"I'm not promising anything, because the look on your face was priceless," Charlie laughed.

"Yeah? How exactly would you feel if the two of us cozied up?" Fred smirked as Charlie glowered at him.

"Where are my pancakes?" Hermione huffed as she rounded the corner back to kitchen. "And who exactly are you threatening to cozy up to?"

"Your pancakes are here, dearest Hermione," Fred grinned, handing her a plate.

"I love you Fred Weasley," she said, her features softening as she gave him a kiss on his cheek. Charlie scowled at Fred's smug smile. "So, who are you cozying up to?"

"Charlie's crush," Fred said, helping her back up onto the counter.

"It's not a crush!" He cried before he could stop himself, earning raised eyebrows from Fred and a triumphant look from Hermione.

"You told him about her?" She asked, crossing her legs and placing the plate on her lap.

"You know about her?" Fred frowned.

"Most people know about her," Hermione smirked. "He wasn't particularly convincing at Christmas when your mum was grilling him on nice young women he might have met."

"Really?" Fred folded his arms and gave Charlie a condescending look.

"Did he tell you her name?" Hermione asked excitedly, her former fury dissipating at the possible secret being revealed and her stomach finally filling up. "We know she's a student, and not one of the air-headed fangirls who follow him around morning till night. And she's of age."

"I know her, yeah," Fred nodded. "And for the brightest witch of your bloody age, you're an idiot."

"What?!" Hermione cried.

"Fred!" Charlie barked, his face flushing red.

"Tell me! Tell me who she is!" Hermione pleaded.

"If you can't figure it out yourself, you don't deserve to know until he tells you," Fred said.

"That's so unfair," Hermione grumbled, accepting he was probably right.

"You're lucky you never got caught under our mistletoe with the girl," Fred smirked. "Because I'm pretty sure you don't see her primarily as a student, regardless of that fact being the one stopping you from making a move."

"That's a good point," Hermione said, a forced enthusiasm to her voice. "Because _we_ got caught under it and now owe you the revenge of a lifetime!"

Fred choked a little on absolutely nothing.

"You got caught under it?!" He cried. "Are you...? And you still...?" He looked bewilderingly at Hermione.

"I was late to class!" She screeched. "It wasn't funny!"

"What happened?" Fred asked excitedly. "One of the teachers let you out, I bet?" He suddenly thought.

"No, Lupin refused to do it since the mistletoe hadn't malfunctioned," Charlie grumbled and fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Really?" Fred's grin couldn't get any wider if it tried.

"Yes really!" Hermione huffed. "I had to kiss him to get to charms!"

"You had to...?" Fred grinned, trying not to laugh. "Wow, it's a really good job you never got caught with your secret crush Charlie-boy..."

Charlie lifted his defeated head from his hands to glare at Fred. His brother stopped talking but continued to grin manically.

"Maybe if he had I might have worked out who it was by now," Hermione groused.

"I highly doubt it love," Fred sniggered. "While the student in question is not dumb by any means, she's not as smart as she'd like to think."

"Fred!" Charlie growled.

"It's definitely the truth," Fred laughed.

"I'm going to find out," Hermione said, a small smile gracing her lips. "You can't keep it from me forever Charlie."

"Do your worst Granger," he grinned as she walked out the door again, his face falling flat the minute she was out of sight.

"No wonder she won't bloody believe you, you idiot!" Fred hissed. "She thinks you fancy someone else!"

"I never told her I did, I just didn't correct her!" Charlie protested. "How was I supposed to do that without telling her it was her?!"

"Okay fine, I can see the dilemma, but you're going to have to find a way to fix your friendship until you can tell her how you feel," Fred said.

"I know." Charlie nodded. "I'll think of something."

"You need to approach it like a friend instead of someone who fancies her," Fred said. "Talk to her, explain your reasoning as a friend."

"And how do I do that without friend-zoning her?"

"Blowed if I know but I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Thanks, that's so helpful," Charlie huffed.

"I can only be so good," he grinned.

Charlie laughed and shook his head before being dragged back onto a topic he'd rather was left very well alone.

"And you bloody well kissed her?!" Fred hissed again. "Merlin man! So much for good job you didn't get caught with her!"

"I have never hated a sibling more than you in my entire life before that!" Charlie snapped.

"It's not our fault you had the hots for Granger well before Christmas!" Fred laughed. "How long have you liked her for?"

"Since the end of September," Charlie said.

"What happened at the end of September?"

"She saw me."

"What?"

"She saw me, and she called me on it," Charlie said with a grin. "She pointed out that Sirius had no need to corrupt me since I was already as bad as he was, if not worse."

"And the kiss? That didn't break any walls?" Fred frowned.

"It lasted two seconds before she broke it and fled to class," Charlie said. "I doubt she even thought much of it."

"And you?"

"It was the longest bloody two seconds of my life," he groaned. "Practically sealed my fucking fate, mate. I haven't been able to think of anyone else since..."

"Ouch! You got it bad!" Fred sniggered. "You sure it's not a little bit more than like."

"No!" He denied.

"Sure big brother, whatever you say," he chuckled.

.

The lot of them traipsed out of the joke shop not long after that, a fully fed Hermione now smiling happily and apologising profusely for her manner. Not two minutes later and Ron had spotted Lavender running down the street towards them, followed by Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, Parvati and Padma Patil, Luna Lovegood, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet and Oliver Wood.

"Won-Won!" Lavender squealed as she rushed into a waiting Ron's arms.

"Hey Lavender," he grinned, kissing her soundly as everyone around them rolled their eyes.

"Hi guys," Harry smiled, catching Ginny's eye as he did.

"Hey Harry, I didn't know you were going to be here today," Charlie said, a little chill to his voice. Hermione kicked the back of his shin lightly as Harry's smile fell. Ginny glared daggers up at her older brother.

"Yeah, we were coming in to do a bit of Easter shopping, buying some eggs and the like," Harry said, a nervous edge to his tone.

"Funny, because I thought Honeydukes was the best sweetshop there was and that's in Hogsmeade?" Charlie frowned, unconvinced. Hermione kicked him a little harder and he bit his lip, glaring down at her. She wouldn't even acknowledge what she'd done.

"It's good to see you all," she said, smiling at her friends.

"I heard you were teaching Weasley?" Katie Bell grinned at the oldest member of the group.

"Yeah, took over Hagrid's old job," Charlie said, raking his fingers through his hair.

"Professor Weasley," Katie chuckled. "It has a certain ring to it..." she winked at him and Charlie shifted uncomfortably.

"Who's the new girl?" Oliver asked.

"This is Anastasia," Ginny introduced their guest. "She's staying with us over Easter."

"Nice to meet you," Neville stretched out his hand to shake hers and continued to introduce the rest of the group.

"Nice to meet you all, too," Ana smiled politely. "Charlie was supposed to be showing me around..." she looked up expectantly at him.

"Yeah, mum said she'd never been here before," Charlie said.

"There's not much to see," Katie said, eyeing the competition up and down. Little did Katie know, she was eyeing up the wrong competition. "How come you went straight to Fred and George's?"

"Because my dear little sister woke up the Beast and forgot to feed it, so we had to make a stop off at the twins' in order to break the spell and turn it human again," Charlie said, a number of them frowning at him.

"You woke up Hermione without offering coffee and food?" Harry looked at Ginny, his eyebrows raised and unsure whether he was impressed or alarmed.

"I didn't do it on purpose," Ginny whined. "In my excitement I just forgot to feed her..."

"I'm not a dog!" Hermione cried.

"No, a dog would have been an improvement," Charlie muttered. "Ow!" He cried as she smacked him hard on his arm.

"The beast you saw this morning does not rear its ugly head just when I'm tired and hungry Charlie Weasley!" She snapped.

"Isn't he your teacher?" Angelina laughed.

"Technically," Hermione growled. "But technically we're not in school so..." she shrugged.

"I'm still not sure hitting me isn't against the rules," Charlie huffed. "I'm pretty sure it's assault actually."

"Ha! That might actually have been funny if you didn't raise dragons for a living," Hermione said.

"I don't anymore," he protested.

"Are you trying to tell me you're going soft?"

"No, I'm just pointing out that you can be quite a violent person when you want to be!"

"How violent would you like me to get?"

"Calm down Granger," Charlie laughed. "I only meant it in the sense that you can put a muzzle and a lead on a dog!"

"Why the hell would you think that clarification would make things any better?!" Hermione looked at him in disbelief.

"Not sure actually." He gave her an apologetic grimace. "I'm sorry I said you'd have been better off as a dog, the Beast was obviously far nicer-"

"Thank you."

"-and kind of adorable," Charlie laughed again as Hermione swotted at his arm, watching her cheeks blush a deep crimson.

"I think hitting on your students even when out of school is probably what's considered still agains the rules," Seamus smirked as he watched the group snigger and Charlie scowl at him, the tips of his ears turning pink as he fought with all his might to keep his own blush down. If he let that get to him, the game was up and they'd all know.

"He wasn't hitting on me, don't be so ridiculous Finnegan," Hermione huffed. "He was winding me up, there's a difference."

"Not always," Luna smiled.

"Anyway, I'm going to Flourish and Blotts if anyone wants to join me," Hermione said as she stomped off, not waiting for a reply.

"I want to go to Quality Quidditch," Ron said, a good portion of the group following him. Charlie felt torn as he watched Harry and Ginny ramble on over, accidentally on purpose ending up beside one another and a little way back from the crowd.

"Where are we going Charlie?" Ana looped a hand around his arm and smiled sweetly.

"I'll tag along too, wouldn't mind catching up with you a little bit Weasley," Katie grinned, ignoring the scowl Ana sent her. Charlie refrained from rolling his eyes; he hadn't seen the girl in seven years, not since he'd left school and she was just a first year then. There was nothing to catch up on.

"Me too," Neville said. "I was hoping to pick your brains regarding the homework you set for us over the holidays?"

"Sure thing Nev," Charlie smiled gratefully at his new favourite student. He hadn't set any homework.

"Where are we going then?" Ana huffed irritably.

"Well...where did you want to go?" Charlie asked.

"How about the Magical Menagerie?" Nev suggested. "We could look at all the animals and it would be the perfect place to grill you for my answers? You'd be in your element."

"I don't know," Katie said, scrunching up her nose. "It always smells a bit gross in there..."

"And I'm not exactly dressed in anything I want dirtied," Ana added.

"Fair enough," Neville said. "It's not for everyone. I can usually only get Hermione in there but it was worth a shot."

"But you know? I suppose it's not that bad," Katie said quickly. "And I have always wanted a familiar."

"It might be nice to see what lovely creatures they have," Ana agreed begrudgingly. Neville smirked at a gaping Charlie as they led the girls to the Magical Menagerie.

.

"Thanks for this mate," Charlie mumbled as they left Katie and Ana to fuss over some sweet little kittens.

"Will it earn me any leniency when you mark my work at school?" Neville asked sheepishly.

"You kidding? For this I won't even expect you to hand in homework!" Charlie laughed at Neville's wide eyes.

"Are you serious?"

"I tell you what," Charlie said. "If you do the homework, I'll mark it and correct your mistakes at the same time, giving you a grade you deserve without having to re-do the assignments? So long as you promise me you'll read my corrections to your work and learn from them?"

"Deal," Neville said, grinning as he shook Charlie's hand. "You have to got to be the coolest teacher we've ever had!"

"Never let Sirius hear you say that," Charlie chuckled.

"Professor Black is pretty awesome but he's also a lot more responsible that he thinks he is," Neville said. "You're brilliant though, because when it comes to the magical creatures there's no one better. When it comes to the teaching side of things, you don't have a bloody clue what you're doing and that's hilarious and very enlightening."

"Thanks, I think," Charlie frowned. "How is it enlightening?"

"Well, pretty much the entire teaching staff look as though they have it all figured out, you know? It's kind of nice to see someone more our age who doesn't have it all together just yet." Neville gave Charlie a nervous smile and Charlie just shrugged and grinned at him.

"Mate, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have it figured out anytime soon," he chuckled.

"You've only got one more term left and then you can ask Hermione out," Neville said. "You've waited this long-"

"What? Why would you think I want to ask Granger out?" Charlie said, trying to keep his tone pretty blasé.

"Uh, no offence but I think the only person who can't see it is her," Neville said. "You called the Beast within her adorable, you're always looking at her in a different way to anyone else, you laugh at her jokes and smile when she smiles...it's pretty obvious."

Charlie looked a little green. "Like, lose me my job obvious?"

"Well, if it weren't for the fact that McGonagall is as awesome as you, it's possible she'd have had a word with you by now." Neville cringed. "Sorry...I think she just trusts you to do the right thing, which is a good thing."

"I'm so fucking screwed," Charlie groaned.

"Nah, you've only got one more term, it'll all be worth it in the end," Neville said.

"If she feels the same way," Charlie mumbled.

"The pair of you are idiots," Neville said matter-of-factly. "Come on, the girls are waving us over."

"But I don't wanna go," Charlie whined.

"You're seven years my senior, not seven years my junior!" Neville laughed as he dragged Charlie towards the kittens.

"Which one do you think I should get Charlie?" Katie crooned.

.

Another hour later and he was wondering towards Flourish and Blotts, looking for Hermione. Everyone else had ended up meeting for ice cream at Fortescue's and he'd volunteered to go and track down the bookworm, getting away from Ana, Katie and the disgusting display of teenage angst/romance/drama that was currently his little sister and Harry Potter. He found her in the stacks towards the back, glad he had both her and the shop to himself since he had a bone or two to pick with her.

"You don't want that one," he said, seeing a pile of books in her hand.

She squeaked as he put a hand on her shoulder and turned round to glare at him, the furious look disintegrating the minute she set eyes on him and the small ball of fluff in his hand.

"What's that?" She asked.

"A cat," he replied.

"Why do you have a cat?" She frowned.

"The short answer would be because I bought one," he said. "The long answer would be because you stomped off up the street and left me to the mercy of Anastasia and Katie, my only rescue in the form of Neville Longbottom. And while Nev is my new favourite student, and rather manipulative for such a shy and quiet bloke, he was not strong enough to stop this."

"Where was everyone else?" Hermione asked.

"They all took off to Quality Quidditch Supplies," Charlie said.

"Why didn't you just go with them?"

"Because apparently Harry deserves to live...?"

"Yes, he does." She shook her head with a smirk. "He definitely doesn't deserve to die for falling in love with your sister."

"I think we should agree to disagree on that one Granger," Charlie grumbled.

"What's the cat called?" Hermione asked, unable to stop herself scooping up the tiny ball of fluff and passing Charlie all the books she'd been holding.

"I haven't got a name yet, but apparently I had to have him because he likes me so much," Charlie said with a shrug.

"He's adorable," she hummed as she nuzzled her nose into the little creatures head. Charlie groaned silently as he wistfully wondered what it would be like to feel her nuzzle into him.

"I suppose so," he sighed.

"He is! How can you not see he's adorable?!"

"I think you're adorable, but you won't believe me," he said, voicing another stupid comment without thinking.

"Charlie..." Hermione looked up at him sadly. "Please stop..."

"I know..." he nodded. "I know, I'm sorry..." he sighed and shook his head. "I just..."

"Seamus is right though, you shouldn't really be saying it. It's is a little inappropriate," Hermione said quietly.

"Yeah, I know," he said with another nod. "But here's the thing, and I'm only going to say this once and then I promise I won't mention it again, okay?"

"Okay..." she looked at him dubiously.

"I don't want to make things weird or awkward between us, because frankly I value your friendship far too much to ever intentionally want to do that, but you _are_ beautiful and gorgeous and very incredibly attractive." He set sincere eyes on hers and Hermione sucked in a breath before chewing her lip as she waited for him to finish. "I know you don't believe me and I know you don't believe it's true, and I'll stop telling you because I know you don't want to hear it, but I had to say it out loud and in a way that can't be mistaken as me just trying to boost your confidence. At least once."

"Th-thank you," Hermione stuttered. "...I just...I don't understand why you care so much?"

"Because girls like Anastasia are overly abundant, they're everywhere. And yes, they are stunning and beautiful and drop-dead gorgeous, as you put it. But they're nothing special Hermione...their beauty is primarily in their looks and they know that they're beautiful, and usually they have to work to be that beautiful." Charlie sighed and held on to the books in his hands that much tighter, fighting the urge to tuck a stray curl behind her ear or cup her cheek affectionately. "I care because I don't see how it's fair that they are allowed to believe it and revel in it, when a woman such as yourself is so much more than that but is made to believe she's not."

"No one has made me believe I'm not, I'm just not." Hermione shrugged, a few tears in her eyes.

"Sorry Hermione, but if you can't see it, you've been made to believe it." Charlie shrugged back.

Hermione stayed quite still, her eyes searching his for something, anything. He wasn't sure what she was looking for, he just knew he couldn't tear his gaze away. Her eyes were a beautiful chocolate brown and he could have melted in them a few times over before she broke their eye contact.

"Your cat needs a name," she croaked.

"You name him, it's your fault I've got him," Charlie said.

"How is it my fault?!" Hermione argued, a strength back to her voice now they were back on common ground.

"Because you stomped up the street and left me to the mercy of those two witches!" He cried.

"Charlie, you have the ability to say no. I've heard you say the word plenty of times."

"Did I mention Ana and Katie also bought one each?"

"Wow, so you'll always be connected to them," Hermione giggled at him as he scowled at her.

"This is exactly why I needed you there, because they didn't let that bit slip till after I'd paid for the little sod and we'd left the shop!" Charlie huffed.

"You should call him Katana," Hermione smirked.

"Like the Japanese Samurai sword?" Charlie frowned.

"No, like Kat-ie and Ana-stasia," Hermione laughed as he glared at her.

"That is not funny!" He growled.

"It's bloody hilarious!" Hermione was almost doubled over in hysterics and Charlie couldn't help the small smile that crept its way onto his lips at the sound of her laughter. He shoved her playfully and laughed himself as she almost fell over.

"Charlie!" She cried.

"You started it Granger! You laughed at my misfortune first!" He chuckled.

"You should call him Minou," Hermione said.

"Minou?" Charlie frowned.

"It means kitty in French," Hermione said.

"How do you know that?"

"Uh, my dad was French," she said.

"What d'you mean was?" Charlie frowned.

"He, uh...he died." Hermione cleared her throat gently. "When I was ten."

"Oh!" Charlie's eyes widened in surprise. "Merlin Hermione, I'm so sorry...I didn't know..."

"Not many people do," she said. "I didn't tell anyone when I started school. It felt a little bit safer, and it had happened two years before I met anyone from the wizarding world, before I even knew I was a witch." She shrugged, petting Minou softly in an attempt to distract herself and move the topic along.

"Do Ron and Harry know?" Charlie asked. She shook her head.

"They know he died, but I don't like talking about it. So they don't know that I knew him well, for a lot of my life. I think they assumed I was really little and I never corrected them."

"Why?"

"Because too many people had looked at me with such pity in their eyes and if I hated anything, it was that." She sighed. "I don't need to be pitied, it sucked but there's not a lot I can do about it." She raised her eyes to his, almost expecting to see the same expression written on his face that practically every grown up she'd known at that time had on theirs. But she couldn't. He was sorry for her, but sincerely so. He could hear her pain and see her hurting even now and he was sad that she was sad, but there was no pity there.

"Minou it is," he said softly. She gave him a tentative and tearful look, filled with gratitude at his acceptance of her explanation and his willingness to move on as she wanted to.

.

"I'll pay for those and then we can go," Hermione said, nodding at the books he was still holding.

"Okay, but you don't want this one," he said, reiterating what he'd said earlier.

"What? Why?" She frowned.

"Because that guy has no idea what he's talking about," Charlie scoffed. "You want to go with Scamander, all the way."

"Really?" Hermione scrunched her nose up in disbelief.

"Really," he said. "I know the guy is a bit, uh, Lovegood, for you, but he really knows his stuff."

"Oh, okay," she said. "I'll take your word for it."

"It's a shame that only applies to things like books," he muttered.

"Charlie..." she warned.

"What? I promised never to mention that thing about you that you don't believe, I never said anything about teasing you relentlessly over your inability to believe it?" He grinned at the roll of her eyes. "I'm serious, I've always teased you, take it as that because it's not going to stop."

"Fine!" She huffed.

"Plus, you owe me one since you floo-ed to the twins' and I had to escort Ana. It wasn't my fault Ginny pissed you off and I got stuck with the brunt of the consequences!" He said.

"I said I was sorry!" Hermione huffed.

"And you should be," Charlie smirked. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Hermione followed Charlie to the till and passed Minou back to him. The cashier was an older man with greying hair and a kind smile. He rang up the goods and gave Hermione the total, watching as she dug around in her purse for the money.

"Oh, for merlin's sake!" Hermione stomped her foot in irritation. "I thought I'd exchanged more than this..." she looked up apologetically at the kind man. "I'm sorry, I'm going to have to put some back..."

"Don't worry about it Granger," Charlie piped up behind her before looking at the cashier. "Charge the lot to my account." He smiled and gave the man his name and account number.

"Charlie! You can't do that!" Hermione shrieked, whirling around to face him.

"Sure I can, look..." he grabbed the coins she still had clasped in her hand and pocketed them. "I'll take them, you'd only have had to put one book back, maybe two maximum, and I haven't bought you anything for Easter yet so instead of a chocolate egg you got a book that you want." He gave her a winning smile and all she could do was huff and scowl at him.

"Thank you," she bit out. "But you really shouldn't have, I do have the money you know."

"I know, but just because you have the money doesn't mean I can't buy you a gift," he said, rolling his eyes as she scoffed.

"I wouldn't dismiss him Miss," the gentleman said softly. "There's a lot of girls who'd love for their fellas to buy them books instead of random treats and trinkets." He smiled. "My wife was one of them." He sighed. "So I bought her a book shop, and here we are." He forced a polite smile back onto his face.

"I'll make a note of that Sir," Charlie said, giving him a warm smile back as Hermione stood gaping at them, her face bright red. Charlie took her books from the man with a sincere thank you, shoving Minou up onto his shoulder and grabbing her hand, he led them out the shop. He was waiting for the outburst so it didn't come as a surprise to him when she wrenched her hand away and whirled round furiously to face him.

"Why on earth would you let him believe we're a couple?!" She hissed.

"Because the poor bloke was reminiscing about his obviously dead wife, I wasn't about to do something as trivial as correct him!" Charlie said.

"Trivial?!" Hermione squealed.

"Yes, trivial," Charlie said. "What does it matter if one old man thinks we were a couple for ten seconds? Is the thought that disturbing to you?"

"No!" Hermione anger seemed to dissipate at Charlie's tone. He'd tried to keep the hurt out of it but looking at her face he hadn't succeeded. "It's not disturbing Charlie, but you're my Professor! You'd get the sack if anyone had overheard and thought you were serious." She sighed. "Not to mention, buying me gifts isn't exactly appropriate..."

"Granger, I thought we'd established, not by our own means admittedly, that we see each other as more than teacher and student?" Charlie raised an eyebrow at her, quelling his rising panic, pain and anger at the thought she might cut him off as a friend. "I'm buying Harry an Easter egg, is that inappropriate because I teach him? Or Ron? Or Ginny? Nev? Luna?-"

"No! But Charlie, you've known them your whole life!" Hermione argued.

"And I've know you for nearly half of yours!" Charlie cried. "Seriously Hermione, what is the problem?!"

"I just...I don't know!" She huffed. "I struggle when boundaries get blurred, you _are_ my teacher and I suppose it puts me on edge for a while once we're out of school and you're simply my friend. I forget I don't have to watch my behaviour, or yours, and it's takes me a minute to remember that." She shrugged and shifted nervously.

"What about Sirius? You cope pretty well around him?" Charlie frowned. "And Lily and Remus, for that matter."

"Yeah, well..." Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes, her cheeks burning red again as she forced her mouth to open and herself to speak. "...they're all old enough to be my parents...and they're all in serious, long-term committed relationships with kids and everything."

Charlie wanted to ask if she liked him as much as he liked her, but he knew that it wouldn't end well for either of them, even if her answer was yes. They still had a term left in school and nothing could happen before then regardless of how the two of them felt. But at least there was a little hope inside of him now. So Charlie being Charlie, defaulted back to his teasing prankster ways and decided to lighten the tension a bit and get her to laugh a little.

"So you're blaming my poor life choices on your inability to function around me without over thinking everything?" He smirked.

"Huh?" She frowned, nervously biting her lip. Charlie was just getting more and more aggravated at how easy it was (not!) to fall in love with her.

"You're turning into my mother," he snickered. "Maybe if I had a girlfriend and a life plan, you'd calm the hell down." Her lips twitched involuntarily at that. "I'm not dating Anastasia for you though, that's not happening." She was holding back a laugh, her lips pursed. "Or Katie for that matter." A giggle, he got a giggle.

"It's not you Charlie, I'm sorry," Hermione sighed. Her shoulders had dropped and her demeanour was much more relaxed. "I'm just very aware that people see things that aren't there when they want to, and seeing something here would lose you your job and I kind of like Hogwarts a lot with you there."

"Really? Even though I cause more problems than half the students?" He mused, a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face.

"Yes," she admitted reluctantly. "Although I'll never ever tell anyone that, I am Head Girl after all."

"Of course, reputation is everything," Charlie said. "And I believe that would be your number three."

"Seriously? If that's the best you can get out of me, I overestimated your abilities," she laughed at his shocked face.

"You mean there's more?!" He asked excitedly.

"There's a lot more," she grinned.

"Well, you can forget reading or discussing anything serious tonight," he said. "I'm going to be grilling you." He pointed at her jokingly and she swatted his finger away laughing.

"Charlie Weasley, there is a reason I'm so good at not getting caught," she smiled.

"Yeah, because you're a devious witch and too smart for your own good," he said.

"Because I'm really good at keeping secrets," she said.

"Hey, I'll share some of mine too, as payment for some of yours," he offered.

"We'll see," she mused. "There's only one secret of yours I'm interested in right now, and that's who you're mystery love is..."

"I can't tell you that one."

"Why?"

"Because I can't!"

"Then you won't be getting anything out of me."

"We'll see," he grinned. "Although I'm glad you've calmed down and aren't being weird anymore."

"I'm wasn't being weird!"

"You were being really weird," he laughed at her indignant expression.

"I've never had a problem being around you Charlie, I'm always myself when I'm around you," she said quietly. "I just worry what others see when they see that."

"They see two friends," he tugged her into him for a hug, ignoring her half hearted protests. "You're one of my best friends Granger, and I don't care what anyone thinks about that."

"I'm sorry Charlie," she sighed into him and the feel of her against his chest sent sparks tumbling around his body. What the hell was he doing? Was this friend-zoning her? He didn't think so, it didn't feel like it. So why...oh for fuck's sake! He'd bloody friend-zoned himself, hadn't he?! Oh he was going to kill Fred and his shitty advise.

Charlie released Hermione and they walked back towards the group, Charlie still carrying her books. Hermione had taken Minou from his shoulder and was cradling the cat in her arms as they came upon the ice cream shop.

"What d'you want?" Charlie asked.

"Nothing, I'm okay thanks," she smiled.

"I will get you something Granger so it might as well be something you want to eat as opposed to something you feel you have to because your too polite to decline since I bought it for you anyway..." he smirked at her scowl.

"Rum and raisin please," she mumbled.

"Good girl," he patted her head condescendingly before leaving her to get comfy with the rest of the group. Fred and George had come to join them too, the twins following Charlie into the shop as he went to order ice cream. Charlie groaned as he saw them sidle up to him.

"So? Granger?" George grinned.

"I had to tell him, he's my twin," Fred said at the look on Charlie's face.

"You know, that is not a reasonable excuse for everything you say and do," Charlie said.

"Yes it is," his younger brothers answered together, looking confused that anyone would think any differently.

"What happened then? These lot were starting to get impatient that you'd been gone so long," Fred said.

"These lot specifically being Ana and Katie," George said.

"I don't think they liked..."

"...that you were with Granger..."

"...especially when Nev, Harry and Ginny..."

"...all pointed out that you were probably having some..."

"...passionate discussion about the books..."

"...and stuff." George finished, grinning at his big brother.

"Seamus elaborated on the stuff," Fred smirked. "It made everything worse."

"Seamus is a twat," Charlie said.

"He can be." George nodded.

"Nothing happened, if that's what you're wondering," Charlie said. "Well, other than the fact I managed to friend-zone myself after your stellar advise Fred..."

"What? How'd you manage that?" Fred frowned and Charlie gave him a short summary of the conversation he'd had with Hermione. The twins couldn't help but laugh.

"It's not funny!" Charlie huffed.

"It kind of is," Fred said. "She's head over heels for you mate, you've just got to wait till school ends."

"I know, but it's really not all that easy. This holiday is going to be a killer," he sighed.

"We've got your back bro," George smiled sincerely at him this time. "You can always come and hide out in the shop."

"Thanks guys, I just might," he said.

"I still don't understand why you can't just tell her you like her," George said.

"Because she's my student!" Charlie hissed.

"Yeah, but it's different, surely? You've known her for forever..." George trailed off as he caught sight of the woman in question, walking up behind them.

"Are we talking about his mystery woman?" Hermione asked.

"We are indeed," George grinned.

"So, you've known her for a while then?" Hermione had her thinking face on.

Charlie elbowed George hard in the ribs as he opened his mouth.

"Well that narrows it down substantially," Hermione hummed.

"Thanks guys," Charlie growled.

"She's never going to get it," Fred said.

"What makes you so sure?" Hermione huffed. "I'm the smartest witch of my age!"

"Because there's no way you'll ever see this girl as someone Charlie-boy would be interested in," George said, a smug smile on his face.

"Can you both shut the hell up?!" Charlie snapped. "What are you doing in here anyway?" He turned his temper to Hermione who gave him a flat look before he grumbled an apology.

"The short answer would be coming to see what's taking you so long," she said. "The long answer would be hiding. Ana and Katie seem to have taken it personally that you came to find me and took more than ten seconds doing it, and also that you're buying me ice cream. Harry and Ginny are doing Merlin knows what, I don't think they even know what they're doing any more but it's painful to watch, nonetheless. Seamus keeps cracking jokes and coming up with rather erotic and quite frankly disgusting ideas about what we were up to whilst in the bookshop, Ron has his tongue firmly lodged down Lavender's throat, and pretty much everyone else is talking quidditch with the exception of the Patil twins and Dean, who are laughing at Seamus." During Hermione's long answer they'd reached the counter and had begun ordering ice creams.

"If I can't kill Harry can I at least take it out on Seamus?" Charlie asked.

"Not right now, but I'll consider it," she chuckled.

"Why d'you want to kill Harry?" Fred asked, confused.

"Because he had the nerve to fall in love with your sister," Hermione said, taking her ice cream.

"But-ow! What was that for?!" Fred glared at his twin who simply raised his eyebrows. Fred suddenly realised what he'd been about to say and grinned sheepishly at Hermione who was looking at them perplexedly.

"The bloke can't help how he feels Charlie, surely you should know that?" George said, quickly avoiding an interrogation from the bushy haired witch who was eyeing them curiously.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," he grumbled, handing Fred his ice cream.

"I'll meet you back outside, I can see Ginny waving at me," Hermione sighed. "Thanks for the ice cream Charlie..."

Fred and George rounded on Charlie the minute Hermione had left. He jerked back at the ferociousness in their eyes.

"You want to kill Harry for falling in love with Ginny?!" George hissed.

"Are you the biggest bloody idiot alive?!" Fred looked at him with wide eyes.

"You nearly were Forge," George glared at his twin.

"I know, thanks for the save," he grimaced apologetically.

"What were you going to say?" Charlie frowned.

"But - _you_ had the nerve to fall in love with _his_ sister..." Fred said.

"Harry's sisters are six and three," Charlie said, totally not following what they were getting at.

" _Hermione_ is Harry's sister," Fred said slowly.

"Adopted sister, sure, but he sees her as a sister just as much as his blood related sisters," George explained.

"What?" Charlie frowned, still not getting it.

"Hermione has practically lived with Harry since she started school," George said. Charlie swore inwardly as he remembered what Sirius had said.

"After him and Ron saved her from that troll in first year they've been inseparable," Fred said.

"But with Harry it was a little different..."

"She spends one week of the summer with her family before going back to Harry's house..."

"And maybe a couple days over Christmas and Easter..."

"But since she was a first year, she's basically been Harry's adopted sister," Fred sighed, looking forlornly at his brother. "You can't kill Harry for doing exactly what you've done," George said.

"I'm not in love with Granger," Charlie argued and was met with very unconvinced and deadpan looks. He groaned as he paid Fortescue and begrudgingly gave in to his brothers. "Fine! I'll give Harry a break, but I'm not admitting I'm in love with her."

"Why not?" George sighed exasperatedly.

"Because...if I admit it out loud it makes it real and once it's real, I don't know how well I'm going to hold up." Charlie hung his head as he rubbed the back of his neck. He knew it was bad when Fred clapped him on the back affectionately and George nodded.

"You're not in love with her mate," Fred agreed.

"But just in case, you should still give Harry a break." George smirked as Charlie groaned and stalked out the shop.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - the one where he was ambushed into babysitting for Sirius and Lily, and could not cope on his own, at all.

"Oh thank Merlin you're here!" Sirius exclaimed as he pulled Charlie into the room, Minou scooting through the door behind him.

"What's going on?" Charlie frowned.

"It's a full moon tonight and I'm supposed to be going down to the shack with Remus and Tonks, but Tonks is too heavily pregnant to transform into her animagus so Lily is going to come with me instead but I can't leave the kids on their own, and that's where you come in..." Sirius looked dubiously at Charlie, having spoken a mile a minute. It took Charlie a second to catch up before he looked at his friend with wide and terrified eyes.

"You can't leave me here with your children?! I've never babysat anyone in my life!" Charlie cried.

"Call on Hermione if you get stuck, she's great with them," Sirius said with a wink.

"Why wouldn't you just ask her first?!" Charlie said, exasperation evident in his voice.

"Because she's busy with her studies and such," Sirius huffed.

"You couldn't find her in the library or the common room so you gave up," Charlie translated.

"Yes," Sirius said with a lopsided grin.

Lily wondered into the room at that moment with their three year old daughter Lyla. "Oh good, Charlie, you made it."

"Yep," Charlie said.

"It's pretty easy, just make sure all the kids are in bed by nine and then chill out on the sofa and do whatever you want," Lily said.

"How exactly do I get them to bed?" Charlie asked.

"Charlie you grew up with four younger brothers and a little sister," Lily smirked at him. "I'm sure you remember looking after them at some point."

"I was two years younger than Bill, he was always in charge. He was the Head Boy remember, not me! I was Quidditch Captain!" Charlie huffed.

"You'll figure it out," Lily laughed. "I trust you. And if you're really really stuck just send for Harry, he'll give you a hand."

"Okay, fair enough," Charlie sighed, holding out his arms to Lyla who launched straight into them. He knew Sirius and Lily's kids really well, he played with them all the time and had spent a lot of his free time around them, but he'd never had to actually be responsible for them. Not on his own and not as the only adult in the room.

Sirius and Lily left only minutes after that, leaving Charlie in their living room looking down at the three year old in his arms. Her ten year old brother, Michael, emerged from his room only a few minutes later followed by the six year old twins Daisy and Jasmine.

"Hi Charlie," they chimed sweetly. He was in trouble. Big, huge, out of control trouble.

"Hi girls," Charlie said.

"What are we doing tonight Charlie?" Daisy asked with a mischievous grin.

"Well, we're going to play a game or two and then you're going to go to bed," Charlie said.

"What games?" Jasmine asked.

"Well, what did you want to play?" Charlie stupidly asked.

"How about hide and seek?" Daisy squealed.

"At the same time as chase!" Jasmine cackled as they bolted for the door.

"NO!" Charlie bellowed as he watched them sprint out the door and down the corridor.

"Well, that's going to complicate things," Mike sighed as he sat down on the sofa. Charlie groaned and sent Harry a patronus, putting Lyla down next to her big brother.

Harry was at the door in a few minutes, shaking his head and trying to contain his laughter.

"It's not funny Harry!" Charlie huffed, groaning as Grayson (Harry's twelve year old brother), Ginny, Ron and of course, Hermione, appeared in the doorway. "How the hell are we going to find them?"

"Well, I have a super-secret special way of finding them that's guaranteed to work, trouble is, you can't tell mum and dad about it..." Harry said, shuffling with a little less confidence than he had when he walked in.

"Okay..." Charlie eyed him curiously. "Is it illegal or dark magic?"

"No!" Harry cried. "Of course not!"

"Just checking," Charlie said. He pondered it for a moment and then cracked a sly grin. "I tell you what, if you don't tell your mum and dad I lost them, I won't tell them how we found them?"

"Deal," Harry grinned, sticking his hand out for Charlie to shake.

"So, how do we find them?" Charlie asked as he shook Harry's hand.

Harry pulled out a piece of old blank parchment and muttered a few words while pointing his wand at it. Instantly lines began forming and spots were moving, and as Charlie focused on it he realised it was a real-time map of the castle, showing every person in it and where they were.

"Merlin! Where the hell did you get something like this?!" Charlie cried.

"Messers Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs," Ron beamed.

"Padfoot?!" Charlie jerked at the name, having heard Lily call Sirius that a few times.

"Yeah," Harry chuckled. "He doesn't know we have it. Uncle Remus, Dad and...Dad, they made it, with their backstabbing friend Pettigrew." He frowned slightly in thought before shaking his head and pulling himself out of it.

"They made it?" Charlie looked in awe at it.

"Yeah, but Filch confiscated it from them while they were at school. Then Fred and George stole it off him when they were in his office one time and managed to get it working, then they passed it back to me, once they knew who the marauders were." Harry rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the intense gaze of his brothers on him as he spoke about James and Sirius.

"Right," Charlie said with a grin. "I always wondered how the twins did so much without getting caught."

"Yeah, they had a little help," Harry laughed. "Anyway, Daisy and Jazz are only halfway up the corridor, hiding behind a tapestry. It's going to be catching them that's the problem since it's a secret passageway. We're going to need someone at the top of it and someone this end, and then a couple around both entrances in case they get past the two in the tunnel."

"Well, I'll stay here with Lyla," Ginny said. "That way we don't have to worry about her."

"I'll stay here too," Mike said.

"Okay, well, if I head up to the other end of the tunnel with Ron and Grayson, Hermione can head into the tunnel this end with Charlie watching the entrance?" Harry suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Ron nodded.

"Okay, lets go then," Charlie said, eager to get the girls back before it got too late.

The two groups split off as they left Sirius and Lily's quarters, three of them heading up and away with the map while Hermione and Charlie wondered a little way down the corridor towards the tapestry. They could hear little sniggers coming from the other side of it and Hermione caught Charlie's eye as she chuckled silently with him. She cast a silencing charm so the girls wouldn't know anyone was standing at the entrance to the tunnel.

"I can't believe I lost them," Charlie mumbled. "I told Lily and Sirius that I'd be awful at this."

"How?" Hermione frowned at him incredulously. "You have-"

"Four younger brothers and a little sister, yes I know." He sighed. "Bill was always in charge, and we were too close together in age for me to ever really need to be."

"Fair enough," Hermione said. "Still, you did create Fred and George, you should have seen this coming."

"Probably," he chuckled.

"This would also be your number six," she added.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, it's not just you and Sirius who can make blackmail lists you know," she scoffed.

"Oh really?" Charlie laughed. "And what pray tell, are numbers one to five?"

"Well, number one is our little breakfast on Valentines. Two would be swearing in front of all your students, number three would be having a massive crush on one of them, number four would be sneaking back to the UK regularly when you were living in Romania, and not dropping in to see your mother-"

"Shit! I forgot I told you that!" He huffed.

"-and number five would be keeping Harry's map from his parents." She smiled victoriously.

"Well, you're on number eight, so I wouldn't brag if I were you," he smirked.

"Eight?! How did you work that out?"

"One was also the Valentines breakfast. Two was admitting that you like me here even though I cause more problems than half the students."

"Okay..." she looked at him skeptically.

"Three was Norbert-"

"Which you've already told about!"

"Only to Sirius! Four was brewing polyjuice potion in your second year-"

"Fuck! I forgot I told you about that!"

"Five was breaking out Buckbeak-"

"And that!"

"Six was keeping Skeeter in a jar-"

"Shit!"

"-seven was being a co-founder of Dumbledore's Army, and this would be eight, helping me find the Zees without telling their parents they were ever lost in the first place."

"It's funny how a lot of our numbers coincide with each other, isn't it? Someone might say you're a bad influence on me..." Hermione giggled at Charlie's indignant look.

"Excuse me?!" He cried. "You have more numbers than I do! If anyone is a bad influence, it's you!"

"Me? Poor, sweet, hard working Hermione Granger? Please, no one would believe you!" She chuckled sweetly and he realised she was probably right.

He sighed and shook his head, grinning affectionately at her. "No, they bloody wouldn't."

Just then, Harry had made it to the top entrance of the tunnel and it was go time. Hermione peeled back the tapestry, the girls squealed running towards Harry only to be scooped up by him and Greyson. The whole group traipsed back to the family quarters.

"Thanks for the help Harry," Charlie grinned gratefully.

"Anytime, they are my little sisters after all," Harry laughed, ruffling their hair affectionately.

"Harry!" Daisy shrieked.

"No!" Jasmine giggled, pushing his hand away.

"Well, I'm going to get back, now everyone's safe and sound," Ron said.

"Yeah, me too," Ginny smiled. "But it was nice to see you all."

"You going to be okay all on your own Charlie?" Harry smirked.

Charlie was torn between nodding and shaking his head, thinking that if he could get Harry to stay he wouldn't be anywhere near Ginny. But then the guy had just done him a huge favour and if only for today, Charlie's urge to physically hurt him had calmed. Not to mention what Fred and George had said to him kept resounding in his head.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he said with a small nod.

"It's okay, I'll stay for a bit anyway," Hermione said. "It feels like it's been ages since I saw you guys." She smiled at the children and they beamed back. Charlie felt elated, both with relief at having some help, and getting to spend a bit of time with Hermione. He'd missed her since Easter.

.

After everyone else had left, not including Grayson who strangely had wanted to stay for a bit, they'd played a few games before getting the girls ready for bed. Lyla, Daisy and Jasmine were all sound asleep by half past eight, which just left Mike. Grayson was still hanging around, and Charlie was sure it was for a reason. One he found out several seconds later after the girl's had gone to bed.

"Do you think that we'd all be here if Harry's real dad hadn't died?" Grayson blurted out.

"What?" Charlie stuttered, looking quickly at Hermione with wide, panicked eyes. This was not part of the job description of babysitter; answering deep and prolific questions was not something Charlie was all that good at.

"If James Potter had never died, d'you think our parents would be together?" Grayson asked again, looking down at his nervously twisting hands. Mike had suddenly become quite interested in the conversation now too and it was something Charlie got the feeling had been bothering them for a while.

"Have you asked your parents?" Charlie said.

"Yes," Grayson said quietly. "But they don't really give us an answer, not beyond some stupid 'things happen for a reason' rubbish..."

"I think they just don't want to hurt our feelings with their answer." Mike shrugged, a defeat to his motion that hurt Charlie's heart coming from such a young boy.

"Well, its probably because the answer isn't that simple," Charlie said.

"Do you know the answer though?" Grayson asked.

"Not exactly, but I could give it a good guess," he said.

"Please?" Mike asked. "And don't treat us like idiots, we just want to know-"

"We want to know if all this is a bit of a lie," Grayson said, an angry tone in voice.

"It's not a lie," Charlie said firmly. "Your parents don't talk much about what happened to James, do they?" He sighed.

"No..." both boys mumbled.

"Your dad is an idiot," Charlie groaned. "He never said I had to fix his bloody kids at the same time as watching them!" He huffed to himself, earning odd looks from the surrounding company.

"I'll go make some tea," Hermione said suddenly. "It might be a bit of a talk."

"Good idea," Charlie said. They waited for her to come back, four steaming mugs of tea trailing behind her. Once each of them were settled around the small oak table, Charlie began to talk. He thought about it as best he could and hoped he didn't screw anything up, but these boys needed an actual answer and he couldn't turn them away like almost everyone else had obviously done. They might be children but they weren't stupid.

"The short and simple answer, if I'm being very honest, would be no," he said. "If James had never died I don't think your parents would be together-"

"Thanks," Grayson said, standing immediately.

"Sit down," Charlie said firmly. Grayson looked as through he might ignore him till Charlie gave him a stern look and the boy huffed, dropping back into his seat.

"Did you really need to be that honest?" Hermione hissed.

"Yes, because obviously their problem is that no one else has been," Charlie said, before turning back to the boys. "As I said before though, the answer isn't simple."

"Sure it is," Grayson scoffed. "If James hadn't died, mum would still be madly in love with him and we would never have existed!"

"Yes, but he did," Charlie said. "James did die, and that makes all the difference. If that had never happened, I don't think your mum and dad would be together because I don't think they saw each other that way until after James died. And not for a little while after that either." Charlie took a breath and continued on. "I also believe that if either of your parents, or Harry for that matter, were ever given the chance to go back in time and save him, they'd choose not to. And I think he'd understand that. Your mother still loves James, she always will because he gave her Harry. Your father still loves him too because he was his best friend, he gave him life and hope and love. But they would never choose him over you if given the chance. James is dead, and as much as that hurts them, they can't change that and I'm not sure they'd want to anymore. Because, as I've said, I don't think you lot would be here if they did."

"You really think so?" Mike sniffed. "You really think even Harry wouldn't choose to go back and save his real dad?"

"Your dad _is_ his real dad," Charlie said. "It's difficult to explain-"

"Harry can't remember a time when Sirius wasn't his father," Hermione cut in. "As much as he loves James, for giving him life and being a wonderful dad up until his death, he can't remember him. That's what he struggles with sometimes, not that James died but that he never got to know him before he did. He's never seen any of you as less than his whole brothers and sisters. He'd never want to trade you for James, and he knows James would understand that. Because you're his family, you're everything to him." Hermione sighed. "That's what they all mean when they say everything happens for a reason, because it's difficult for them to admit that maybe the reason James had to die when he did was so they could be together, and make all of you."

"So, you don't think that Harry hates us?" Mike said.

"Merlin no! Whatever would make you think that?!" Hermione cried.

"He's been really distant lately, and whenever there's a mention of James he gets really quiet, and it's like when he looks at us he sees his dad..." Grayson wiped a tear away. "I miss my big brother..."

"Well, I'll be sure to bring him back to you once I've rung his scrawny little neck!" Hermione growled, and suddenly Charlie felt very afraid for Harry. "Look, he's been really distant because he likes a girl and he doesn't know what to do about it, all he can think of is her." Charlie tensed, knowing he'd willing sent him off with said girl not two hours ago and Hermione gave him a scathing look, again reminding him that he had no leg to stand on when it came to sisters and fancying someone's.

"And what about when James is mentioned?" Mike whispered.

"He feels guilty," Hermione mumbled.

"What? Why?" Grayson frowned.

"Because, he wishes family was a little less complicated. I think sometimes he wishes he was a Black too, and when James is mentioned he's reminded that he's the odd one out. He's almost like an outsider, and it sucks being the outsider in the one place you're supposed to belong." Hermione breathed, Charlie noticed how that last part was said with feeling. "He feels guilty because a part of him wishes Sirius was really his biological dad, guilty because it wasn't James' fault that he died, he died saving Lily and Harry. He feels like he's betraying his father by feeling these things." She shrugged. "He doesn't see his dad when he looks at you, you have to believe me. If anything, he sees yours." She sighed. "Your parents are exceptional, they never tried to bury James in the past and leave him there, which is what makes their relationship work and your family so loving, because they acknowledge that he came first and that because of his sacrifice they have what they do now. James would only ever want them to be happy and happy is what they are, just ask your Uncle Remus. But it is also what makes things a bit weird, I suppose. Especially growing up, because you have a bunch of questions and they aren't the best at answering them. I think your mum and dad still feel a little guilty sometimes, and talking about it drags that all up...it's very complicated..."

"How do you know that's how they feel? Really? It's all just guesswork in the end, isn't it?" Grayson asked.

"Because I know Harry, and he's told me some of it. And I know, like me, he'd never choose to have his dad back if it meant losing his siblings." Hermione gave them a long hard look, ignoring the way Charlie's eyes snapped straight to hers.

"Your dad died?" Mike frowned.

"Yes, he did. And my mum married again and had another child. But my family are different from yours, they don't like to remember my dad. My stepsister hates me because I remind her that she's not my mother's biological daughter, my stepfather isn't too fond of me because I remind my mother of my dad and she finds that too difficult to deal with...my little brother love's me but I rarely get to see him. And no matter what the rest of my family are like, I'd never trade him in for my dad, as much as I love him." Hermione stifled a sob. "I'd give anything to have him back, but not that, never that." Charlie stood and came to her, wrapping his arms around her and soothing her gently. The boys looked mildly shocked at Hermione's upset but remained where they were.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed.

"But you knew your dad when he died, didn't you?" Mike said.

"How'd you know?" Hermione frowned.

"Because I can see how much you miss him, and not the idea of him," Mike said.

"I was ten when he died, my mum was never the same again," Hermione wiped her leaking eyes and sniffed. Charlie took the seat beside her, keeping a reassuring hand on her back. She gave a small, grateful smile before continuing with her story. "She met my stepfather about three months later and they were married six months after that. My brother was born just before I started Hogwarts." Hermione sighed, thinking back to that time and how harsh it had been. "I think my mum just wanted to forget, you know? I think she just wanted to pretend like my dad never really existed, which was really hard with me around because I'm almost exactly like him. So when it came time for me to leave and come here, I think she was more relieved than anything."

"Is that why you stay with us most holidays?" Grayson asked, a look of comprehension gracing his features.

"Yeah," she said. "I go back for a week each year, just to see them and see my brother, mainly. But a week is definitely long enough, my stepfather and stepsister are too much after that and my mother just ends up in a depressive state so..."

"Well, we love it when you stay," Mike said.

"Totally, you're definitely our favourite big sister," Grayson said. "Harry is terrified of you."

"Thanks guys," Hermione said, giving them small smiles and squeezing their hands.

.

Not long after that, Grayson headed back to Gryffindor and Mike took himself to bed, leaving Charlie and Hermione to themselves.

"Hot chocolate?" Hermione asked him.

"Yeah, sounds good, thanks," Charlie smiled. He stood up and followed her to the little kitchenette at the back of the room.

Hermione pulled down two mugs from a cupboard as Charlie retrieved the milk and marshmallows. The two danced around each other with ease, fixing their drinks and going to sit on the small sofa in the front room. Minou jumped up and settled himself at Hermione's feet, in between her and Charlie, purring as she stroked him and tickled behind his ear.

"You know, I've never understood why Sirius and Lily never got married?" Hermione said as they sunk into the couch.

"Oh, that one's easy," Charlie said. "If they got married, Lily wouldn't be a Potter anymore and then Harry would really be the only one who wasn't a Black. Sirius would never adopt him and change his name because he's James' son and while he's just about accepted the fact that he fell in love with his best mate's wife, he'd never take his son from him that way."

"Fair enough, I can see what he means," Hermione said. "They were very close friends, I think Sirius would rather be a Potter than a Black at any rate, judging by his less than fond childhood memories."

"Yeah." Charlie nodded.

"My stepdad obviously never knew my dad, so he had no trouble changing my mother's last name or leaving me as the only Granger," Hermione sighed. "I just wish I fit into a family somewhere, you know? And not as the loose end..."

"You do," Charlie said without thinking, his first thought being that she fit with him. "You fit here with Harry, and over at ours..."

"Not really though," Hermione said. "I'm still a guest even if I'm outstaying my welcome."

"You aren't outstaying your welcome, wherever you are," Charlie smiled.

"If you say so," Hermione chuckled. "Sirius gets it, I think that's why I find being here so easy. He used to practically live with James when they were kids, so I think he understands the idea of wanting to get away from something. It's different but also pretty similar." Hermione nodded mostly to herself. "I'll find my own place one day, with my own family..."

"Yeah, of course you will," Charlie agreed, fighting the urge to suggest she could find it with him.

"So, how are you?" Hermione shook herself out of her little slump and turned her bright brown eyes on Charlie. "Been getting anywhere with the mystery student? Especially since she isn't your favourite anymore?"

"Neville deserves that title," Charlie laughed. "If it wasn't for him I don't know what I'd have done! Probably ended up with two wives as well as a cat." He grimaced at the thought.

"I don't understand why you didn't just say no and stick to it," Hermione laughed back.

"Well, since my feelings have attached themselves to a specific woman, I'm pretty useless around all of them, especially the ones who make unwanted advances," Charlie sighed.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to give anyone the wrong impressions, and I can't seem to give her the right one." Charlie shook his head. "And their competitiveness, Merlin it's astounding!"

"It was pretty funny though, the way Katie eyed up Ana as though you were interested in her." Hermione chuckled to herself. "If only she knew..."

"Well, they tag teamed me into getting Minou so I think they worked it out pretty quickly," Charlie said, petting the smug kitten in between them. "I don't know whether to be relieved or frustrated that the woman I actually like doesn't see it. I mean, it's not like anything can really happen till she graduates."

"That's true," Hermione hummed. "But I'm sure once school finishes she'll want nothing more than to snog your face off, so I wouldn't worry. Nearly every girl in school has their eye on you, I'd be surprised if she didn't fancy you back. She's probably just not all that confident and doesn't want to get her hopes up."

"No, I'm pretty sure she just doesn't see herself the way I see her," Charlie mumbled, suddenly realising that his remark was eerily similar to the same thing he'd been saying to her over Easter. It was almost like he subconsciously wanted to be caught out. "She's got a lot of confidence, but she's very logical. I don't think she'd believe it unless I actually tell her properly, and even then I'm not sure she would."

"Well, she'd be stupid to turn you down," Hermione said, a soft smile on her lips but a sad glint in her eye. Charlie couldn't quite put his finger on what that look was.

"I'll remind of that when I tell her," Charlie grinned, giving her a cheeky wink. "Hermione Granger said you'd be stupid to turn me down...she's not a woman who likes being called stupid."

"I should hope not! Nobody likes being called stupid!" Hermione laughed.

"Yeah, but this one specifically hates it. Really, it's so easy to rile her up when you call her intelligence into question."

"I really hope you don't rile her up on purpose?!" Hermione admonished.

"Not always, sometimes it's an accident. But she looks so pretty when she's passionate, and she gets this cute little blush that spreads out across her cheeks and her eyes...they're so bright and beautiful..." Charlie jerked out of his thoughts abruptly, suddenly realising that he was describing Hermione to Hermione, not that she'd see that.

"You really love her don't you?" Hermione said softly.

"I..." Charlie sighed defeatedly. "I think I might do, yeah. I really think I might." He groaned exasperatedly, shoving his head in his hands.

"Charlie, it'll all be fine in the end," Hermione soothed, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You have no idea," Charlie said. "I'm really not sure it will. I mean, what comes next if she doesn't feel the same way I do? If she doesn't want to be in that kind of a relationship with me?"

"I don't know Charlie," Hermione sighed. "It's difficult, but sometimes you want someone in your life much more than you want to get over them. And all you want is to see them happy so..."

"That sounds quite real for you," Charlie said, a hollow kind of sickness erupting in his chest.

"It's...nothing," Hermione sighed. "It doesn't matter, he likes someone else, he told me."

"He's an idiot," Charlie said with feeling.

"Yeah, but I was a little attached to the idea of him being my idiot," Hermione said, a small, sad smile flickering across her lips.

"I'm sorry Hermione," Charlie said, throwing an arm over her shoulders.

"People can't help how they feel," she said, leaning into him. Her curls brushed the tip of his nose and he sighed as he inhaled their familiar strawberry scent. At least he could pretend for a few more minutes, at least he had this right now.

"No, they can't, and it sucks," he sighed.

"What are we going to do for the rest of the night?" Hermione murmured.

"I don't mind, you can run away and leave me to wallow in my own self pity if you like? I wouldn't blame you?" Charlie part chuckled.

"No it's okay," Hermione said. "I'm happy to stay and keep you company, it's a bit boring without a tv. We could read, I've still got that dragon book on me?" She suggested.

"You haven't finished that yet?"

"It got surprisingly dull without the added commentary," Hermione said.

"Really?" Charlie smirked.

"Yes, really." She gave him an affectionate smile as she reached for the book and twisted to lean back against him. Minou gave a small huff as he jumped onto the back of the sofa and settled back down up there.

Charlie scooped her up further and twisted them so he was leant back against the arm of the chair and she was nestled between his legs with her back against his chest. He decided that if these last few weeks was all he had till he made everything super awkward, he'd at least make the most of them. Knowing she liked someone else had crushed him, but it didn't stop him from wanting to tell her how he felt once school was over. It wasn't fair for her not to know.

Hermione flipped the book over and snuggled back into Charlie. His arms came around her waist and his chin sat on her shoulder. Within minutes he had her laughing and giggling as he pointed out as many ridiculous things as he could find. The feel of her in his arms, the way her body shook against his as she laughed made his heart soar and ache all at once. As the night wore on and the time flew by both Charlie and Hermione began to get tired. Charlie was too warm and happy to feel like moving, and he could feel his eyelids starting to drop. Hermione still had the book resting on her knees, her eyes drooping as well. Before either of them knew it, they were both fast asleep, the book falling to the floor and Hermione curling further into Charlie.

Lily and Sirius came back in the early hours of the morning to the two of them wrapped around each other on their sofa, Hermione having turned in the night and now resting her cheek on Charlie's chest. Lily found an old blanket and dropped it over the two of them before dragging a sniggering Sirius into their bedroom and closing the door. A few hours later and Lyla was awake, traipsing out of her room and into her parents', closely followed by her two older sisters. Sirius was unusually eager to get out of bed on a Saturday morning, especially a morning following the full moon but Lily had a feeling it was something to do with the two people sleeping on their couch. She didn't argue it anyway, mumbling something about having fun before wriggling back further under the covers and letting sleep take over once more.

Charlie heard the faint pitter patter of tiny feet as he stirred. His back ached and his neck had a crick in it, and there was a weight lying on his chest significantly larger than Minou. It was still the best nights sleep Charlie had had in a while. As he shifted, starting to wake, he felt the weight shift too and was suddenly hit with a huge waft of strawberry scent followed by a rather large body of hair. Charlie, remembering the night before, brushed Hermione's hair out his face and sniggered as she sat bolt up right, a mortified look on her face.

"Have I been cuddled up to you all night?!" She squealed, having regained her memory at about the same time Charlie regained his.

"Yes," came Sirius' reply. The pair of them looked towards the hallway door that led to the bedrooms and groaned inwardly. Sirius beamed at them, Lyla in one arm, both twins stood beside him with identical expressions to their dad's and Mike, sheepishly smiling from behind.

"Morning," Charlie mumbled.

"I think it's a rather good morning, don't you?" Sirius smirked.

"I'm not in the mood for you this early Sirius," Charlie huffed as Hermione jumped up from the sofa. He bent down to retrieve her book and she stuttered a thanks as he passed it to her.

"Looks like the pair of you slept well, together," he smiled.

"What time did you get in and did you take any pictures?" Charlie asked.

"Pictures?!" Hermione whirled round with a shriek.

"No!" Sirius cried, mock hurt in his eyes. "Of course I never took pictures!"

"Lily wouldn't let you," Charlie summarised.

"No, she wouldn't," Sirius huffed.

"I love your wife," Charlie smirked.

"I love your future one too," Sirius muttered so low only Charlie could hear him. He scowled at the man, knowing fine full well that Hermione didn't like him that way. And yet, she had stayed and she had fallen asleep on him and cuddled in even further.

Charlie frowned to himself. But she said she liked someone, and that someone said he didn't like her, so that can't have been him. Unless, like Fred suggested, she maybe did like him and assumed he didn't like her because he said he liked someone, and she assumed that someone wasn't her. And he hadn't corrected her, because he couldn't, not yet. Oh merlin! This was so bloody confusing! And he knew whoever he spoke to would probably tell him that she did like him and it was all because she thought he liked someone else, but he couldn't get his hopes up, because there was just as much a chance, if not more, that she didn't like him and she did like someone stupid enough not to like her back.

"You okay there mate?" Sirius frowned at him, obviously watching his internal debate.

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine," Charlie said. "But I'm going to head back to my own quarters now, I got quite a bit to be getting on with."

"Sure," Sirius said, looking pretty unconvinced.

"Catch you later, and give your wonderful wife a kiss from me," Charlie grinned.

"I'll make it one with tongues and everything," Sirius cackled at the disturbed and disgusted looks on Charlie, Hermione and Mike's faces.

"Merlin, I have no idea how she fell in love with you," Charlie said, shaking his head.

"Dunno but she did, and I make the most of it everyday," Sirius smiled. "See you later Charlie."

"Bye guys," he called as he waved at the room, making a quick exit. He wasn't sure he could stay around Hermione too much right then, especially with Sirius making stupid innuendos all the time. He needed to get his head straight and think about what she'd said last night, try and deduce whether he might still have a chance. He'd said so much to her already that he was a little scared she'd accept his confession because she felt bad, not because she felt the same way. Merlin things felt a bit scewy right now.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 - the one where everyone was celebrating the birth of the newest Lupin and he walked into a room. Literally, that's all he did, he walked into a room.

It wasn't even a room he shouldn't have been in. It was a room he'd been invited to. It wasn't even one of those awkward, shit-I-just-walked-in-on-you-naked kind of moments. But it fucking floored him. It was the last nail in his coffin. Screw not being in love with her, he was head over bloody heels and when this academic year came to a close he was either going to die or he was going to be able to breathe for the first time in his life.

It was a Sunday. Tonks and Remus had put on a lunch to celebrate the birth of Teddy, inviting several others to come and meet him. Lily and Sirius were there with all six of their kids. Bill and Fleur were there, and the twins, all four of which kept giving Charlie sly grins and wicked smirks. Tonks' parents had come and so had Charlie's parents and Percy, and of course, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Charlie had walked into the Lupin family quarters and been completely bowled over by the sight of Hermione Granger smiling lovingly down at the tiny bundle in her arms. What floored Charlie was the speed at which his brain could transition that to the idea of him and her with a baby of their own.

"Charlie!" Tonks cried, rushing over to him and breaking him out of his reverie. "Oh Merlin, it's so good to see you!"

"Tonks you saw me a few days ago," Charlie laughed, squeezing the woman tightly.

"I know, but not since I could hug you without Teddy getting in the way," she smiled tiredly.

"Yeah, congratulations by the way," Charlie grinned. "He's gorgeous, and I'm impressed you're well enough to do all this."

"I don't like sitting still," she said. "And I wanted to parade him round."

"As you should," Charlie laughed. "He's too good not to show off."

"Come on, come and sit down, you should hold him!" She squealed, shoving Charlie towards the sofa Hermione was currently perched on.

Charlie and Tonks had been in the same year at school, and they'd been pretty good friends despite being in two different houses. Their mothers had been good friends so they'd grown up together and known each other since they were little, something they found comfort in as they started school and lived away from their families for the first time.

Charlie was pushed down into the corner next to Hermione. She looked up at him with bright, adoring eyes full of wonder and awe. He couldn't help fall into them somewhat.

"D'you want to hold him?" She asked softly.

"I don't think I've got much choice," he said, shirking off his jacket and chucking it down the side of the sofa.

"It's easy, don't panic," she smiled. "Just, cradle your arms...yeah, just like that..." Hermione nodded as he moved his arms to resemble the position hers were in. "Just watch his head..." she said as she gently transferred the sleeping baby from her hold to his. "You've got it..." she whispered sweetly, her eyes meeting his briefly as she moved back and looked over his shoulder. That was truly the moment he knew he was screwed. If this girl didn't love him back, he was going to die.

Charlie looked down at the small, innocent and helpless baby boy in his arms, unable to stop his expression mimicking that of Hermione's only moments ago. He prayed and he wished and he willed so hard that when they got off the train at the end of this year, she'd tell him she was in love with him too. He smiled down at the tiny child, wanting nothing more in that moment than to build a future involving something like this for himself. And he knew he couldn't imagine a baby of his without her cute little nose and deep brown eyes. He was fucking floored. He adjusted the sleeping bundle gently, gasping as the little boy opened his eyes for a fraction of a second. Those big wide eyes melted Charlie, and his heart missed a beat as he felt tiny fingers curl around his own rather large one.

"He's beautiful isn't he?" Hermione whispered from over his shoulder.

"Yeah," was all Charlie could squeeze out, the rest of the world forgotten as he glanced briefly at Hermione once more. He smiled softly at her, feeling both hope and despair as she smiled back. The pair of them turned their gaze back to the baby.

"I haven't held a kid this small since mum had Ginny," Charlie chuckled. "I was seven..."

"I know what you mean," Hermione said. "I was eleven when my little brother was born. I haven't held a baby since."

"I remember them feeling a lot bigger," he frowned, before laughing as he watched her giggle.

"I have a feeling it's because we were a lot smaller," she grinned.

"Hmm, they do say you're the brightest witch of your age for a reason," Charlie chuckled.

"Oh my!" Molly Weasley suddenly exclaimed from across the room, drawing both Hermione and Charlie out of their strange little bubble and making them feel quite self-conscious.

"What's the matter dear?" Arthur frowned.

"Oh nothing, the photos, they're just much nicer than I expected them to be," she said, a shrillness to her voice that only came with her being excited about something she probably shouldn't be. Charlie narrowed his eyes at his mother who smiled all too knowingly at him. His heart did a summersault, because the one thing he did not need right now was his mother interfering, as much as he loved her.

"Oh wow..." Arthur's eyebrows were high on his head. "Yes dear, these are quite lovely..." he stuttered before nodding and handing them back. Molly quickly shuffled them in with the rest of the stack that she'd taken that day so far.

"Can I have a look Mrs Weasley?" Hermione asked politely.

"Of course you can dear," Molly said, handing Hermione the photos as she sat on the floor by her feet. He watched as Hermione smiled lovingly, looking at each photo.

"Muggle photos don't move, so, I rather like looking at the wizarding ones..." she started to explain as she trailed off, her cheeks going a little pink and her eyes glazing over slightly. It only lasted a few seconds before she'd pushed down whatever unexpected emotion she'd felt and carried on, clearing her throat as if nothing. "They really are beautiful Mrs Weasley," Hermione said, handing them back.

"I think so to," Molly smiled warmly at the young girl and squeezed her hand in a way that had Charlie looking a little puzzled.

"I'm going to go and find Harry and Ron, I'll see you all in a bit," Hermione said, waving at the small group before wondering towards the kitchen area, avoiding his eye specifically. Or at least that's how it felt.

.

Several hours later, following a wonderful lunch, he was in the kitchen finishing the washing up with his mother.

"Thank you for that Charlie," Molly said, smiling at her second oldest. "Remus and Tonks will be ever so grateful." He was always the more considerate of her children, helping without being asked and thinking of others before himself. It was one of the reasons why she so badly wanted him to find someone, because he was too good and kind and sweet not to have that kind of love in his life.

"It's fine mum, you know I don't mind doing it," he smiled back at her. He noticed the stack of photos on the counter at the corner of the kitchen and snatched them up as his mum began gathering a load of cups and mugs and the teapot. He started flicking through them, unaware of his mother's well trained eye on him.

As he got to the most recent lot he couldn't help but let out a small and almost inaudible gasp. He was looking at a picture that made his heart physically ache. How in the hell had he not realised his mother had her camera on him?! She'd basically captured the exact moment Charlie knew he was doomed. The exact moment that Hermione had settled herself next to him after passing him Teddy, that moment where she was looking over his shoulder at the baby but they'd caught each other's eyes. Fucking hell! It looked like they could have been the family he was only dreaming of.

"I'm not sure whether that one's my favourite or one of the few that come after it," Molly said, her arms folded as she stood behind her son peering at the photos. She gave him a pointed look to keep going and Charlie felt like he might cry as he placed them all on the counter with a heavy sigh.

There were another three that took his breath away and made him want to quit his job right then and there. They were wizarding photos too, so it wasn't just a captured second but a captured moment in its entirety. The first one was of him laughing as Hermione giggled, after his stupid comment about babies feeling bigger when he was seven. The second one was the other instance where they'd caught each other's eyes, exchanging a soft smile before gazing back down at Teddy. The last one...well...the last one had Charlie staring in awe at Teddy while Hermione's eyes were on him, a look in them he could only dream of. Then in the same photo they practically switched roles without realising. Her eyes flicked to the sleeping Teddy and his landed on her, a look so deep it was as if he wanted to drown.

"Fuck!" He whispered.

"Fuck indeed," Molly said in amusement as Charlie looked in astonishment at her. He'd never heard his mother swear before.

"I'll let you have that one, considering the circumstances," she said. "Besides, I raised six boys, where d'you think Bill learnt it from first?" Charlie guffawed at that one. "What? The first one is always the guinea pig. You don't think about it till they start picking it up." She shrugged.

"I love you mum," Charlie laughed.

"I love you too Charlie dear, but it would seem you also love our darling Hermione, wouldn't it?" She said softly.

"Mum..."

"Just be careful Charlie, I think she stands a good chance of getting just as broken as you," Molly said.

"I don't know..." Charlie shook his head.

"I think you do," Molly smiled softly as she pushed a picture into his hands, the one that showed Hermione looking at him as if she loved him just as much as he loved her.

"I don't know what to do," he whispered.

"You'll figure it out," she said.

"Can't you just give me the answers? Just this once?" Charlie pleaded.

"I'm sorry son, but I don't know them." Molly reached up and ran her fingers gently across her grown up boy's cheek, smiling affectionately at him. Charlie sunk into his mother, hugging her tightly and feeling as though he wanted to break with the reality of it all. He was in love with Hermione, and while there was hope she loved him back there was still no guarantee. The woman was going to destroy him, no matter what happened.

"Oh sorry!" Tonks jumped as she saw the rather intimate moment between mother and son that she'd just interrupted. "I'll come back-"

"Nah Tonks, its fine," Charlie said, forcing a smile.

"Really, because you don't look fine," She frowned. Molly handed her a photo and Charlie did his best not to glare at the wonderful woman that was his mother, especially when Tonks gasped at the image. Although what came out of her mouth next was a total shock.

"Holy shit! Remus wasn't kidding was he?!" She laughed, her eyebrows high on her head.

"What d'you mean? Remus wasn't kidding?" Charlie frowned.

"He might have mentioned to me about that time just before Christmas, where you were stuck-"

"Yes, I'm aware of the one you're talking about," Charlie growled, his mother stood perplexed and Tonks smirked smugly at him.

"He said there was something there, between you two," she said.

"There can't be, not yet. There's not allowed to be," Charlie sighed.

"What happened before Christmas?" Molly frowned.

"They got caught under mistletoe," Tonks sniggered.

"Really?!" Molly looked in surprise at her son.

"Yes, really," Charlie grumbled.

"But I thought that wasn't supposed to trap teachers and students?" Molly said.

"It's not, but they obviously don't see each other as teacher and student, do they?" Tonks grinned as she held up the photographic proof. Molly giggled at Charlie's anguished look and shook her head as he walked swiftly out the door, her favourite photograph in his hand.

"Who else knows?" Molly asked Tonks.

"Uh, everyone I think," she said. "The staff have a bet going to see whether they'll last the year."

"Won't Charlie lose his job if they don't?" Molly asked worriedly.

"Well, since Mcgonagall is in on the bet, I don't think he would. I think she can see he's struggling just as much as her. Not to mention she's Hermione Granger, not some lovesick, bumbling teenager who doesn't know her own mind." Tonks shrugged.

"Do we know she definitely feels the same way?" Molly asked quietly.

"Well, she hasn't spoken to anyone I don't think, but...from the way she reacts to him, and the way she reacted when she saw those pictures..." Tonks shrugged again. "I'd say it was pretty obvious."

"I really really hope you're right,"

Molly said, a forlorn look stealing her features. "Because I've never seen Charlie like this over anyone, and I don't think he'll be like this over anyone ever again."

"They'll figure it out," Tonks said, a little less assuredly than before.

.

"Oops! Sorry Granger!" Charlie grabbed her arms as he barrelled into her, almost knocking her down.

"I-it's fine, Charlie, fine," Hermione stammered. "No harm no foul and all that..." she laughed a little too high.

"Are you okay?" He asked with a frown.

"Uh huh," she said, nodding. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, but you look like you're freaking out if you ask me."

"What? That's ridiculous! I've got nothing to freak out about!" She almost shrieked.

"Come on..." Charlie took her hand and pulled her through Lupin's family quarters and the castle, out towards the Astronomy tower, marvelling in his ability to forget all his troubles in the presence of hers. He steered her to a small stone wall and sat her down, positioning himself at the base of it so he could look up at her. "Now, out with it..."

"What?!" She shrieked. "No! There's nothing wrong!"

"Hermione..." he gave her a warning look.

"Really..." she tried but failed and huffed out a very nervous and teary breath. "Have you seen those pictures yet?"

"Which ones?" He asked, having a fairly good idea what she was talking about.

"The ones of us, and Teddy?" She asked. Charlie gave her a small nod and felt his heart break at the terrified look in her eye.

"I'm sorry Charlie..." she whispered. "I didn't know...I didn't think...bloody camera..."

Charlie's mouth had gone inexplicably dry as he watched Hermione fumble over her words and basically shoot him down. He felt sick, as though nothing was ever going to be right in his life ever again.

"Hermione calm down, what are you trying to say?" he all but croaked out.

"I don't want things to change," she whispered. "I can't lose you, even as just my friend...I don't want to lose you..."

Charlie sighed, ignoring the fact that his heart was breaking into a bajillion pieces. He pulled himself off the ground and scooped her up into a hug. "You won't ever lose me, I promise..." he held her tight and felt his heart break some more.

"I'm really really sorry Charlie," she sobbed.

"Come on, enough of that you silly witch," Charlie tried to chuckle. "You can't help how you feel Hermione," he murmured. "Don't feel bad for something you can't help."

"But I just, Merlin it feels so awkward," she sniffed into his shirt.

"Really? Because you're doing pretty well right now." His chuckle was a little more natural and he let a tiny smile slip as he felt Hermione chuckle along with him.

"Are we going to be okay?" She asked, so quietly he barely heard her.

"Of course we are," Charlie breathed heavily. "Of course we are..."

"I'm so sorry Charlie, I really wish-"

"Don't apologise Hermione, really its fine," he said. "I'm just sorry it all turned out like this."

"Me too."

Charlie stayed with his arms around the woman just a little bit longer than necessary, and for someone who apparently felt the exact opposite to himself, she didn't seem to mind. That was the last real amount of time Charlie had spent with Hermione, avoiding her as best he could while still teaching her. Every night he went back to his quarters, lying in bed he thought about how close she was, and yet she was so far away. His heart had never hurt like it did now, his soul felt like it was on fire and in a deep freeze all at the same time. And he felt like such an idiot for believing he even remotely stood a chance. For believing his brothers and his mother and Sirius...everyone who'd nudged him into thinking his dreams were actually palpable. There was no way Hermione Granger would ever love him like that, he'd known it from the start and he should have listened to himself.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 - the one where he should have listened to Lily, continued...

It was with that last recollection, Charlie realised that his heart's deepest desire was to see Hermione happy. He changed course pretty quickly, now heading towards Sirius instead of the library. He'd managed to bypass the immediate symptoms of the venom by focusing on this new and truer desire that he had. That was until he rounded the corner to Sirius' classroom and found Hermione stood outside of it, the last student to file in for the lesson because she was shuffling around with some books in her bag.

All logical thought went out of his head at that point and he couldn't help it as his body propelled itself towards her. He wanted nothing more than for his lips to be on hers in that moment, and the poison still in his system made him damn the consequences.

"P-professor Weasley?" Hermione stuttered as she saw him marching towards her with intent. "Are you o-"

He cut Hermione off with a kiss, his hand resting against her cheek with purpose as his lips connected with hers. Her eyes went wide and she dropped her books, but not a second later her arms were wrapped around his neck and she was kissing him back the way he'd always dreamt, always hoped, that she would. He circled his arms around her waist and pulled her flush to him, deepening the kiss and flicking his tongue in time with her own.

Sirius had heard the books hit the floor from inside his classroom and with a frown he stepped out to see what was going on and where Hermione had got to. He was shocked to find her in a lip-lock with his favourite Professor (Remus was still his best mate but the guy would not stoop to his level since becoming a teacher). He heard the sound of approaching feet and with a flick of his wand sent Charlie, Hermione, her bag and books into the broom cupboard across the hall.

"Sir!" Christie McKinnon called to him as her class rounded the corner. "Sir! Have you seen Professor Weasley? He was bitten by a Sutarebil pup and just walked off."

"A Sutarebil, you say?" Sirius grinned widely. "Well that explains the rather passionate kiss he just planted on me!" He laughed as the class all stared at him in shock. "When was he bit?"

"About ten minutes ago," Christie croaked. "Did he really kiss you?!"

"Oh yes, it was lovely," Sirius said. "Although I think I still prefer Professor Potter's kisses."

"Where did he go?" Christie asked.

"Well, he looked quite mortified, I think he ran back to his room." Sirius smiled, loving how gullible kids could be. "I think we'll dismiss you for today, go do some studying for your O. or something."

"Yes sir," Christie sighed disappointedly. Sirius watched as the class disbanded and they all wondered away. He popped his head back into his own classroom and set his students some mundane task before excusing himself again.

Sirius stalked across the corridor and flung the door of the broom closet open. Hermione was pressed up against the wall, Charlie's lips still moving fervently against her own. Sirius cleared his throat loudly and the two jumped apart so quickly that if it weren't for their bruised lips, he'd have questioned whether they were on each other to begin with.

"Well, this is interesting," Sirius smirked.

"Oh shit!" Charlie cursed. "Hermione I'm so sorry-"

"No you're not!" Sirius scoffed.

"Sirius shut the fuck up!" Charlie snapped. His glare was furious, but Sirius could tell he was angry with himself.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, flustered and embarrassed. "Why did you kiss me?" She looked at Charlie with a sense of betrayal. "You know how I feel, why would you be so insensitive?"

"I was bitten by a Sutarebil," Charlie said. "Christie McKinnon dropped one of the pups and I had to catch it otherwise it would have run away and probably been eaten by something in the Forbidden Forest."

"Oh..." Hermione cleared her throat, her eyes glazing over.

"Hermione, I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt you or make you feel uncomfortable-"

"You know how she feels?" Sirius cut him off and glared at him.

"Yes, we talked after lunch at Lupin's," Charlie said, unsure as to why Sirius looked like he wanted to kill him.

"It's fine Sirius, we're okay. We agreed to remain friends-"

"Why?" Sirius looked so confused that if the pair in front of him understood why, it would have been quite adorable.

"Because we don't feel the same way!" Hermione huffed, exasperation now trumping embarrassment and hurt.

"What?" Sirius was still noticeably confused.

"I can't talk about this, or deal with it!" Hermione cried. "It's too much. You tell him," she said to Charlie as she moved towards the door. "We'll pretend this never happened, I was just the first witch of age you came across or something..."

"What?" Charlie frowned, now as confused as Sirius. He watched Hermione walk out of the cupboard, totally confounded by her last sentence.

"Okay, you need to tell me exactly what each of you said when you had that stupid conversation." Sirius levelled his almost violent gaze onto Charlie.

Charlie, surprised and a little terrified of his close friend, gave him a blow by blow account of exactly what was said and by whom that day on the Astronomy tower.

Sirius sighed and looked exasperatedly at Charlie. "The pair of you are both absolute, unequivocal, morons," he said flatly and without argument.

"I don't-"

"Imagine for a second, when looking at those photos, that what Hermione was seeing was herself looking at you the way you look at her. And then imagine that she hadn't looked at your picture in the same photos, or processed the way you were looking at her. Now replay that whole conversation in your head, factoring in that she was in love with you, and tell me if it would sound any different?" Sirius looked at him as though he was the densest person he'd ever met.

"Fuck!" Charlie swore, and loudly this time.

"And the penny fucking drops," Sirius said.

"She was apologising for _loving_ me?!" Charlie shot Sirius a pained look of comprehension. His heart was beating a thousand miles a minute and he felt giddy and sick all at the same time. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"I suggest you go and find her before the damage done today is irreparable," Sirius said.

"God I'm such a fucking idiot!" Charlie cried as he stormed towards the door.

"No arguments here." Sirius chuckled, watching the redhead flip him off and stalk out the door down the corridor.

.

Charlie ran to the staffroom and straight to the huge student timetable on the wall, detailing where each pupil should be at what time. Hermione's said she should have been in Transfiguration but obviously that was not where she was. Harry's, on the other hand, said he should be in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Charlie launched himself back out of the staffroom and towards Lupin's classroom. He unceremoniously flung open the door and looked wildly around.

"Professor Weasley?" Remus frowned at him, drawing his attention to the man at the front.

"Can I borrow Harry for a second?" Charlie blurted.

"Why?" Remus was a little confused.

"Because I'm an idiot," Charlie said.

"Okay..." Remus motioned for Harry to sort Charlie out before turning back to his class.

Harry followed Charlie out of the classroom and a few steps down the corridor.

"What's up Charlie?" Harry asked.

"I need to borrow that map," Charlie said under his breath.

"What? Why?" Harry started.

"Because I'm an idiot," Charlie sighed.

"That might have been good enough for Lupin but you'll have to elaborate for me," Harry said. "Who're you looking for?"

"Hermione," Charlie said.

"What did you do?!" Harry rounded on him faster than he could react and had him pinned to the wall with an intense stare.

"I was bitten by a Sutarebil," Charlie said. "It's venom releases all your inhibitions...I kissed her."

"You what?!" Harry hissed.

"Hey, back up a bit mate. You did fall in love with my sister," Charlie pointed out.

"Exactly, at least I love her," Harry snapped.

"I love Hermione," Charlie said.

"Really?" Harry said in a tone that conveyed his absolute skepticism.

"I do!" Charlie cried.

"What about that conversation you had, after you'd seen the photos your mum took?" Harry said. "How'd you explain that?!"

"She told you about that?" Charlie frowned.

"She's my best friend, I notice when she's not herself. That conversation nearly killed her Charlie!" Harry growled.

"It nearly killed me! I thought she was apologising because she realised I loved her and she didn't feel the same way!" Charlie pleaded with Harry. "You have to help me because right now she thinks the only reason I kissed her was because she was the first witch of age that I came across."

"And she wasn't?"

"No! I must have walked past a good twenty of them!" Charlie cried exasperatedly. "Harry I get that you're trying to protect her, but I have to find her!"

"How's this? I help you find Hermione and you back off with me and Ginny?" Harry offered. "No protective big brother chat, no break-her-heart-and-I'll-break-your-legs comments, no scowls or glares or-"

"You can bloody marry Ginny if it's what makes the pair of you happy, it's none of my fucking business!" Charlie snapped. "Help me find Hermione, please?"

"Fuck! I knew I was bloody right!" Harry blinked in shock at Charlie's outburst before breaking out into a wide grin. "You really do love her!"

"I haven't been able to eat, sleep or think for months!" Charlie huffed. "And you are never allowed to tell my sister that," he added.

Harry nodded and pulled out the piece of blank parchment from a discreet pocket in his bag. He tapped the paper and muttered 'I solemnly swear I'm up to no good' and the map began appearing right before their eyes. The pair of them scoured the parchment, desperately looking for the little dot labelled Hermione Granger.

"Found her!" Harry cried. "She's in an abandoned classroom on the fifth floor."

"Thanks mate, I owe you!" Charlie legged it down the corridor and towards the stairs.

"Well, tell her she owes me twenty quid when you catch up to her!" Harry called back. He sighed and shook his head, hoping it all worked out for the best.

.

Charlie slowed as he came to the door behind which Hermione was hiding. He silently undid her quite complex locking charms and eased open the door. She was slumped on the floor against the wall opposite him, and his heart broke. Her body was shaking with sobs and all he wanted to do was run to her and kiss her and hold her and tell her he loved her; but she'd never believe him. He had to get this right if she was ever going to believe him. He walked over and slid down the wall beside her, feeling a few of his own tears slide down his face. He brushed them away before speaking.

"Hermione?" He whispered.

"Why couldn't you just leave me alone?" She sobbed.

"Uh, because I'm an idiot," Charlie said softly.

"No arguments here," Hermione lifted her head with a sniff.

"Well, I'm kind of attached to the idea of being _your_ idiot," he looked at her imploringly.

"Charlie, that's cruel," she sniffed, hurt and betrayal evident in her voice.

"It would be cruel of you to turn me down since I've been slowly falling in love with you since last September..." Charlie gave her his most sincere look and then panicked when she jumped up and made for the door. He was a millisecond behind her, gently grabbing her wrist and pulling her back to him. He heard her strangled sob as he turned her to face him.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you being so unfair?! You said we'd be okay? You said we could be friends!" Hermione ended on a scream.

"I don't want to be friends Hermione, I'm in love with you. I absolutely do not want to be friends, it's too fucking difficult and it hurts too fucking much," he growled frustratedly.

"Stop it! Stop telling me that just because you feel bad, or you feel sorry for me!" Hermione cried. "I know you don't love me, you couldn't possibly love me!"

"Why?! Why couldn't I?" Charlie yelled just as hard. "Why are my feelings allowed no validation just because you don't see yourself the way I do!"

"Charlie you've been pining over a girl for months now, I'm pretty sure I'd have known if it was me," she snapped.

"Evidently not!" He snapped back.

"You're telling me that the girl you've been moping around after is me? The cute one who gets riled up if you question her intell..." Hermione trailed off as she thought about every scrap piece of information he'd given her with regards to this mystery woman. She thought about everything Fred had said and everything George had added later on that day. She thought about the odd looks he'd been getting from a lot of people, including Sirius, Remus, Ginny and Molly.

"Finally catching up, are you?" Charlie sighed, a slight smirk on his lips.

"But you _can't_ like me Charlie..."

"Why? Because your hair is so poofy it's three times the size of your head? Or your skin is so pale because you hole yourself up indoors reading all the time? Or you wear baggy clothes to hide your secret hot body?"

"It's not secret! Or hot!" She exclaimed.

"It bloody well is, I've felt you pressed up against me enough times to know that's it's definitely hot." Charlie smirked as she went bright red.

"You can't fancy me..." she said in a whisper, completely baffled and unconvinced.

"I don't fancy you, I'm completely head-over-heels in love with you," Charlie said, and the sincerity in his voice took her breath away.

"But why didn't you say anything? On the Astronomy tower?" Hermione croaked.

"Because I'm an idiot," Charlie chuckled. "I thought you were apologising for _not_ loving me."

"Why on earth would I have done that?!"

"Did you look at me in those pictures? Or did you just see yourself giving the game away?" He asked softly.

"I guess I just saw me," she said.

Charlie reached into his back pocket and pulled out the photo, the one of them missing each other's eyes and staring at Teddy in turn. He pushed it into Hermione's hands and watched, a small smile playing on his lips as she gasped. Her eyes flew up to his and he let out a shaky breath and a watery chuckle.

"It's always been you, Hermione. How could it be anyone else?" He croaked, tears burning the backs of his eyes as he tried to make her see. If she didn't believe him now, she never would and he'd lose her forever.

"But I'm just me," she said in a tiny tremor.

"You're just everything," Charlie sighed. "At least to me."

"But the Sutarebil?" Hermione back tracked. "I was just the first-"

"No, you weren't," Charlie huffed. "I walked past about twenty witches of age. As soon as the bloody thing bit me I knew I'd be gunning for you."

"Then how did you end up at Sirius' door? Unless you know my timetable really well?"

"I convinced myself that my deepest desire was to see you happy and snogging you senseless wouldn't do that. It's what gave me the strength to turn around and seek out Sirius, to prevent it." Charlie shook his head and let out a sardonic little chuckle. "But, you were there, and I couldn't fight it once I actually saw you..."

"I still don't get it...you thought I didn't love you, that I loved someone else. Why kiss me?" Hermione frowned. "What deepest desire would it fulfil? What would it accomplish?"

"Since the Astronomy tower cockup, all I've thought about is wanting to kiss you just one last time," Charlie confessed. "And then seeing you and actually kissing you, Merlin, it was so amazing and so I sort of just decided to go with it, you know?"

"Go with it? I thought the Sutarebil venom didn't give you much of a choice?"

"Not when it came to kissing you, no. But the venom wore off about ten seconds later." He shrugged sheepishly at her.

"You carried on kissing me of your own volition?" Hermione squeaked.

"Well, yeah," he admitted. "You had no idea I was poisoned, so it wasn't like I was taking advantage of the circumstance. As far as I knew, you didn't feel the same way, so I was making the most of it. And you are a phenomenally good kisser."

"Thanks, I think..." she muttered. "But then how did you work out how I felt? If you didn't already know before?"

"Merlin woman, would you quit trying to convince yourself that I'm having you on!" Charlie cried exasperatedly. "Sirius clued me in, when I told him exactly what you'd said to me on the tower. He told me to think about it as if you were in love with me and asked me if the conversation would have run any different."

"How did that help?"

"You're last comment kind of threw me, about you being the first appropriate witch I came across," Charlie explained. "I thought, on the tower, that you were apologising for not feeling the same way I did...I couldn't work out why you didn't know I was specifically aiming for you."

"And how did you find me?" She asked tentatively.

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs," Charlie smirked.

"You stole Harry's map?!"

"No! But I did steal Harry from Remus' class," Charlie said.

"And he helped you find me, just like that?"

"No, I had to tell him what happened and then convince him of how I felt."

"How'd you do that?"

"I told him he could marry my bloody sister if it's what made them happy, it was none of my fucking business anyway, just please help me find you," Charlie reiterated his previous pleading for her benefit.

"You said that? All of it?" She chuckled, knowing how difficult it would have been for him to relinquish his big brother rights.

"I knew that my chances of actually getting you to believe me would severely diminish over time," he said. "I couldn't loose you..."

Hermione looked at him, her gorgeous brown eyes searching his pleading blue ones. She looked down at the picture still in her hands, at the way his eyes had flicked to her and the expression on his face. There was a moment when he thought he had her, but she shook herself out of it and handed him the picture back.

"I'm sorry Charlie," Hermione whispered. "But I don't want you to be with me out of a sense of duty or responsibility."

"Hermione-"

"No, I'm sorry. I don't believe you. It's just all a little too convenient for my liking." She sighed dejectedly.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Charlie cried, flinging his arms out and watching as Hermione's face snapped back up to his. "This has been anything but convenient! I'm not supposed to see you as anything but a fucking student and maybe my little brother's best friend. But no, it's like you had a whole other idea-"

"Me?!"

"Yes you!" Charlie barked. "And now, after so many months and so much agony, you're just going to turn me down because you don't bloody believe me?!"

"Yes! I'm not starting something with you because you feel sorry for me!"

"I don't feel bloody sorry for you Hermione, I fucking love you! And you're going to make both of us miserable because you're too scared to see that I'm telling you the truth!" Charlie cried.

"I'm not scared!"

"Of course you bloody are! _I'm_ fucking terrified! I've never felt this way before!" He cried out in frustration and hung his head in his hands for a few seconds. Looking back up at her he wasn't sure he was ever going to get through to her. "I can't eat, I can't sleep and I can't think without you invading my head. I haven't been able to do much of anything since you kissed me under that fucking mistletoe!"

"Charlie-"

"Did you know that when my mother introduced you to Ana as practically family it took me all of a nanosecond to think that maybe I could make you family for real?" He sighed and shook his head, completely ignoring the way her face fell flat and her jaw dropped. "Just the fact that I could think that so easily fucking petrified me. Or the time when you told me you just wanted to fit into a family, d'you know how hard it was not to tell you that you'd fit just fine next to me?" Charlie was beginning to lose it a little bit. All the pain and heartache he'd felt, waiting to tell her how much he loved her, it just seemed to magnify sevenfold in himself. Because he wasn't being told she didn't feel the same way, he was being told that she felt exactly the same way, but she couldn't believe that he did. Now that felt like a kick in the fucking nuts. He hadn't persevered all these months to finally be told yes but no. "Seeing you with Teddy, Merlin Hermione, that was the end of me. I want love and a life, a wife and kids...and now the only person I can picture that with is bloody _you_!"

"Charlie-"

"Just forget it Hermione, if you honestly can't see it there's no bloody point." He shook his head dejectedly.

"Charlie..." Hermione breathed.

"Seriously Hermione, its fine. We'll be fine eventually. If I can't make you see-"

"Charlie shut the hell up!" She snapped through shaken breaths.

"I'm sorry..."

"Me too..."

"But, just for argument's sakes, you said you'd be stupid to turn me down." He flashed her a tired but cheeky grin as he headed towards the door. And that was when something broke in Hermione.

"I don't like being called stupid," she whispered.

"I'm not calling you stupid, you are," he said. "I'd say your pretty smart, actually, dodging the rest of your life with me." He gave her an affectionate wink.

"No, I'd agree with me right now, I think," she stammered. "I'm pretty fucking stupid." She threw her hands in the air with a yell. "What the fuck am I doing?!"

"Standing in a deserted classroom refusing to believe anything I say?" Charlie offered, his hand on the doorknob.

"I'm serious Charlie!" She cried.

"I'd rather you weren't, that man is a nightmare," he said without thinking, the phrase she'd used on the train just rolling off his tongue.

"What?"

"Serious Sirius." He shrugged as though it was a given. Hermione let out something between a sob and a laugh.

"Kiss me," she said.

"What?!" Charlie blanched, unsure as to what the hell was going on and going through her head.

"I'm so scared right now that I'm going to let you walk out that door and regret it for the rest of my life..." she shook with every word, the last few barely spoken above a whisper. "Kiss me, and _make_ me believe you, please?"

Charlie didn't need to be told a third time. He was across the room faster than the Flash, her head cradled in his hands and his lips on hers. Hermione gasped, something which only allowed him to deepen the kiss. Charlie took his time, using every stroke and touch and taste to show her how he felt. His heart was was beating hard and fast, his hands were practically shaking as he smoothed his thumbs across her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair as shaky, tear-filled sighs escaped from both their lips. Hermione sniffed, her tears overflowing and falling down her face as Charlie rested his forehead on hers, breaking their kiss for a moment. He laughed, tears of his own trailing down his cheeks.

"Merlin you fucking scared me," he whispered to her. "I thought I'd lost you, _really_ lost you..."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry," Hermione murmured.

"Shhh you silly witch," Charlie grinned, a relieved chuckle slipping past his lips. He wiped her tears with the pads of his thumbs and kissed her again, long and slow and full of hope and promise. He dropped his hands to her waist, pulling her in close to him and tightening his hold as her fingers raked through his hair again. They stayed kissing till their lips were sore and their eyes were dry.

"What happens now?" Hermione sighed, pulling back to look him in the eyes.

"Uh, we grow old together and live happily ever after?" He asked.

"Well, yes, but I was thinking more along the lines of I'm still a student and you're still a teacher," she said.

"Fuck!" Charlie groaned. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"What do we do?" Hermione asked sadly.

"I don't know..." Charlie breathed, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers for a second time.

"I don't want you to lose your job over this," Hermione sighed. "...over me."

"It'll be worth it," he said.

"Charlie!"

"It would!"

"But it wouldn't be practical, or smart in anyway, and we've maxed out our idiot cards for this year," she chuckled.

"I know," he nodded. "I'll go and speak to McGonagall, see if there's a solution to this. You are of age after all, that's got to count for something."

"Yeah, it accounts for you not getting thrown into Azkaban," she said. "We can always wait a few more months? It's not that long till term ends?"

"We could..." he nodded reluctantly.

"But?"

"I'm not sure I can control myself around you for that long," he admitted. She blushed profusely and shifted nervously. "Not in that way." He smirked and rolled his eyes. "Just, being around you and not being able to kiss you, or touch you, hold your hand, play with your hair-"

"You really do think I'm beautiful, don't you?" She gave him a shy smile.

"Finally! She gets it!" Charlie grinned and kissed her again, gripping her hips as he did. "You are fucking gorgeous. I have never wanted a woman the way I want you..." he murmured in her ear and felt her shiver.

"Charlie..." Hermione gasped, feeling all too hot and heavy right about now.

"I can wait for that, but I can't wait to be with you. I will, but it's going to hurt, a lot." He sighed, kissing her some more before pulling back and tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

"We're going to have to wait till I graduate," Hermione said. "I don't think we have any other option."

"Are we allowed to use this classroom as a kind of bubble?" He asked. "Until you graduate, we can come up here and I can snog you silly?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Hermione said, a pained look stealing her features.

"I didn't think it would be," he grumbled.

"We've waited this long." She gave him a small smile. "And for the last two weeks at least, neither of us thought this was even a possibility..."

"I know," he sighed.

"Come on, you need to get back for your next class and I need to go and apologise to Sirius for skipping his class," Hermione said, disappointment lacing her words.

"Yeah, so, this is it for now..." he stepped back, his tone mirroring hers.

"I love you Charlie," Hermione said, smiling softly at him as she caressed his cheek and pulled him in for one last, sweet, kiss.

"I love you too," Charlie sighed.

Hermione motioned for them to leave and Charlie held her hand tight as they crossed the room, setting his hand on the doorknob for a second time he took in a deep breath and twisted it, walking back out into reality. He dropped Hermione's hand as they crossed the threshold.

"This is going to be the hardest couple of months..." he mumbled.

"But it'll be worth it," she smiled.

"I know," he said.

"See you later Charlie," Hermione smiled.

"Yeah, see you later..." he sighed and turned to walk up the corridor. "Oh, by the way, you owe Harry twenty quid, whatever that is?"

"Muggle money," she laughed. "He bet me that you'd feel the same way."

"Right, so your inability to believe me was mostly based on you not wanting to lose your money," he teased.

"I decided you were worth twenty quid," she giggled.

"I really hope that it's a lot of money," he huffed playfully.

"Oh totally, hundreds and thousands of galleons," Hermione laughed.

They wondered back up the corridor together, Hermione giving him a kiss on his cheek as she walked away to talk to Sirius. Charlie gave a great sigh, both elated and disappointed, before making his way back to his own class.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 - the one where he realises those stupid things he did were the best mistakes of his life.

"Congratulations Miss Granger, you are now no longer a student of Hogwarts," McGonagall smiled warmly at her. "Although we will invite you to stay the remainder of the term should you wish. We'd be very grateful if you would continue on in the role of Head Girl but, of course, as more of a staff member than a student."

"I'd be delighted to, Professor," Hermione grinned.

"Relationships between staff members are not usually encouraged, but if you could get Professor Weasley out of his odd little slump at the moment, I'd greatly appreciate that, too." McGonagall peered at her best and brightest student who flushed and shifted nervously.

"What...?" Hermione squeaked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, if the two of you could finally give in to your feelings, I'd much appreciate it." McGonagall smirked.

"Uh..."

"Come now Miss Granger, I'm not stupid," she spoke amusedly. "And don't forget I taught Charlie Weasley several years ago, too. I've never seen him look at a girl the way he looks at you." Hermione's blush deepened. "I thought someone had died until a few days ago and now he's so distracted he barely knows which direction he's supposed to be going in!"

"We had a small misunderstanding," Hermione mumbled. "Which we then cleared up..."

"Am to take it that your eagerness to graduate early was down to this misunderstanding?" McGonagall smiled.

"It may have been." Hermione nodded.

"Well, it seems to have played out quite well anyway," the Headmistress chuckled.

"Can we seriously be together openly now?" Hermione frowned. "It's not going to come back and bite us in the...I mean, there won't be severe consequences, for Charlie, being with me literally the day I'm no longer a student?"

"No, it won't bite you in the arse," McGonagall laughed at Hermione's surprised expression. "I'd actually quite like to see some of the students faces, and I think it would deter a good deal of them when it comes to fancying him."

"I don't think it's going to stop them liking him Professor," Hermione sighed.

"No, of course it won't dear, but it will stop them from thinking they stand a chance. And it will stop those bold few from trying to make a move on him, something that really would get him in trouble if he was ever cornered in the wrong place at the wrong time, and by the wrong person." McGonagall sighed heavily. "Young girls are some of the most manipulative, sneaky and sly people you could wish to meet, and their hormones don't react well to rejection. I know your feelings for Professor Weasley are genuine, because you're not infatuated with him and you see him as a whole person. It's so easy to see whenever the pair of you interact. Being with him will actually keep him safer than you think, and protect him from a lot of potential rumours and accusations. Not always, and not from some, but from a lot more that would have tried."

"Thank you Professor," Hermione said.

"It's my pleasure," she said. "I had a bet riding on the pair of you being unable to last till the end of term. I think I put money on three days ago, if I'm honest, but at least I'll get some sort of payout."

"You were betting on us?!"

"Yes, along with Sirius, Lily, Remus, Tonks, Flitwick, Sprout, Pince, Hooch and Pomfrey. We've been watching you for most of the year." She nodded, completely unabashed.

"Well, that makes me feel so much better," Hermione snarked.

"At least we were on your side dear," she said.

"I suppose so," Hermione reluctantly agreed. "You won that bet by the way. Our misunderstanding, that we didn't feel the same, concluded with us realising we did and subsequently caving."

"If you could mention that to the others, I'd be most grateful," she grinned.

"Of course," Hermione laughed. "Now, I'm going to go surprise Charlie."

"You didn't tell him you sat all your exams last week, did you?" McGonagall smirked.

"No." She shook her head. "When I asked to sit them we weren't talking, and afterwards, I didn't want to get his hopes up in case I didn't pass and I had to stay a student."

"Well, have fun making Charlie Weasley's year then," McGonagall chuckled.

"Thank you Professor." Hermione grinned as she left the Headmistress' office.

.

Charlie was setting up to teach his fifth year students, his seventh years were just leaving. He looked up from the bowtruckles to see Hermione flying towards him at breakneck speed, a smile so wide on her face that he wondered who bought her a bookstore. He didn't get the chance to ask since she didn't stop when she reached him. She jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist, catching him by complete surprise. Charlie hadn't even stopped to think they were out in the open before kissing her fiercely, just happy to have her in his arms. He'd missed her and it had only been three days.

"What the fuck?!" A loud screech came from a little way up.

Charlie set Hermione down on the ground, swearing under his breath when she set a hand on his cheek and smiled softly at him. His eyes flicked up to hers and she handed him a piece of parchment, motioning for him to read it.

"You didn't think I'd jump you like that without knowing it was safe to do so?" She teased as she watched his eyes go wide and his expression morph into one of shock and total delight.

"What the fuck is going on?!" The screech sounded again and Hermione looked up to see Pansy Parkinson, flanked by Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis. Christie McKinnon and her class had just made it to the lesson Charlie had been setting up, while a few of the seventh years (including Parkinson and her cronies) had seen Hermione hurtling towards him and turned to follow, wanting to know what was up.

"I graduated a couple months early," Hermione said. "I took all my exams about a week ago and passed them all, so I'm no longer a student."

"And that meant you could snog Professor Weasley because?!" Daphne demanded.

"Because he's hopelessly in love with her," Charlie said without looking up from the parchment.

"You what?!" Christie cried.

"You heard me," he said.

"Her?! Why her?!" Daphne huffed. "She's so plain and boring-"

"If you don't want detention for the next month Greengrass I suggest you stop insulting my girlfriend." Charlie looked up to glare at the offending witch, noticing the cute little blush staining Hermione's cheeks at his title for her.

"But she's a student!" Christie shrieked.

"Not anymore I'm not," Hermione said. "I just told you."

"Why'd you take your exams early?" Charlie asked quietly.

"After the astronomy tower cockup I asked Mcgonagall if I could graduate early. It was too painful to be around you..." Hermione shuffled and chewed her lip nervously. "I didn't tell you on Tuesday because I didn't want to get your hopes up if I failed everything."

"You? Fail?" Charlie laughed. "I didn't know that was a thing you could do."

"Regardless of all that, you can't start something with a student the day they graduate!" Daphne barked. "Something obviously must have been going on beforehand and you'll get to the sack for it. Wait till McGonagall hears!"

"She already knows!" Hermione snapped. "She practically gave me her blessing so good luck with that!"

By now more and more students had begun to gather around. Harry and Ron were on their way back from herbology, seeing the small crowd from the greenhouses they decided to check it out.

"What's going on?" Harry asked as he saw Hermione and Charlie at the centre of the commotion.

"That thing I owe you twenty quid for, it sort of came out..." Hermione gave him a sheepish shrug. "I graduated early and I just had to tell him, in my own special way."

Harry laughed loudly and gave Hermione a happy hug. Ron stayed frowning at the trio.

"What's going on?" He asked, still a little confused.

"So, it turns out Charlie felt the same way I did," Hermione said.

"Told you so," Ron scoffed.

"Wait, the two of you knew?" Charlie looked at them in surprise.

"We are best mates!" Ron huffed.

"I obviously confided in the wrong brothers," Charlie mumbled.

"Obviously, you idiot," Ron smirked.

"So this is a real thing?" Lavender huffed. "You're really dating a teacher?" She looked expectantly at Hermione.

"Yes," Hermione said.

"My boyfriend's older brother?" She scoffed.

"Yes." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well, good luck with Mrs Weasley, she's not exactly easy to win over," Lavender smiled too sweetly, as if marking her territory.

"Merlin she's as daft as bloody Ron!" Charlie mumbled just loud enough for Hermione to hear. She grinned at her new boyfriend and smiled as he pulled her into a loving hug.

"Right, you lot. Shows over. While Granger here is no longer a student, I'm still a teacher. And I'm going to give everyone detention on the next Hogsmeade Saturday if you don't all clear off." He raised his eyebrows at the lot of them. "Not including my fifth years whose lesson starts in two minutes..."

The excess students hurried away, muttering and whispering to themselves. Hermione knew all sorts of crazy rumours would be flying around the school in no time but she couldn't work up the energy to care. Charlie gave her a sweet kiss and watched her for a few seconds as she headed back to the castle before beginning his class. It was the best fifth year lesson he'd ever taught, because a sulky McKinnon was so much easier to deal with than an overly flirty one.


	14. Epilogue

Epilogue - one year later.

Hermione Granger flew out of the Great Hall at break neck speed, her stomach rolling uncontrollably and fighting the urge to throw up until she could find a bathroom. Charlie Weasley sighed and continued picking at his breakfast, worried about his girlfriend and her bout of sickness that seemed not to have subsided. After she'd graduated McGonagall had offered her the role of Librarian as Madam Pince wanted to resign. Hermione jumped at the chance, not only a dream job for her but also the best opportunity since she could work and live in the same space as Charlie.

"Are you not going to go after her? Hold her hair back for her or something?" Sirius asked his favourite teacher with a frown.

"Nah, she doesn't like company when she's ill," Charlie said.

"When she's ill?" Sirius tried his best to hide his smirk, a good number of the faculty quieting down to listen to this conversation.

"Yeah," Charlie nodded absentmindedly. "I'm a bit worried to be honest. She's been sick quite a bit recently. I think she should go to the hospital wing but she's convinced it'll pass."

"She is?" Sirius looked at him a little dumbfounded.

"Yeah," Charlie said, turning to face his friend. "But she's Hermione, she never refuses to admit she's ill."

"So you really don't know what's wrong with her?" Sirius frowned.

"Sirius!" Remus hissed, glaring reproachfully at his insane best friend.

"No," Charlie frowned back. "Why would I? Do you? Do you know what's wrong with her? Have you seen something like this before?"

"Oh yes, plenty of times," Sirius snorted.

"Sirius!" Remus hissed again.

"What?" Sirius shrugged and smiled at Charlie.

"So you know what it is?" Charlie looked at him hopefully.

"I'd hazard a guess at least half the student body could also tell you what it is," Sirius scoffed.

"Sirius!" Remus snapped. "Stop it!"

"And I doubt it's half the student body," Lily said. "They don't pay enough attention to anything that doesn't concern them for it to be half of them."

"You don't know students as well as you think you do," Sirius sighed, standing up and walking towards the podium.

"Sirius Black! Get you arse back to the table now!" Remus whispered furiously.

"Hey! Students!" Sirius called out across the hall and Charlie felt his stomach flip, knowing in some way that the man was about to feed him to the wolves. The hall went quiet and all heads turned to Sirius. "I've had a little disagreement with my lovely girlfriend. Please could anyone who thinks they know what's wrong with Hermione Granger lift their hands into the air."

About three quarters of the Great Hall all put their hands up. Charlie gaped at them and Sirius turned back to Lily, beaming triumphantly. "Told you so."

"So what's wrong with her?" Charlie asked lamely.

"Anyone care to enlighten Professor Weasley with regards to the health of this girlfriend?" Sirius asked loudly. The hall sniggered.

"Sirius!" Remus barked. "You have no class! And you can't just say something like that in front of all the students about a Professor!"

"Whoops, too late," Sirius grinned. "Guess you should have told me that before I started talking."

Remus growled at him and shot Charlie an apologetic look.

Ginny, now an eighth year and ready to graduate in a month or so, took pity on her big brother and stood up. "Uh, its partially your fault and mum's going to kill you for it."

"What?" Charlie frowned, his face scrunched up in confusion, not for long though. Suddenly he turned pale and his jaw dropped. "No, no, no. No, can't be. No. Nope. Mum'll kill me! No...just no..." He set pleading eyes on his sister who shrugged and gave him a tiny smile. "Oh fuck!" He muttered, the room so silent every ear could hear. McGonagall merely chuckled and chose to ignore the infraction.

"D'you wanna go after her now?" Sirius smirked.

"You are the worst friend I think anyone could ever wish to have," Charlie grumbled.

"But you love me anyway," Sirius grinned.

"You keep telling yourself that," Charlie scoffed as he stood up from his seat and went to find Hermione.

.

"Hermione?" Charlie called as walked into her quarters and looked around for her.

"What are you doing in here?!" She wailed from the bathroom. "I told you I don't like company when I'm ill."

"I know, but please can I come in and talk to you?" Charlie murmured through the door.

"Do you have to?" Hermione sniffed.

"Yeah, I really have to," Charlie said.

"Okay..."

Charlie opened the door to see Hermione slumped beside the toilet, tears in her eyes and a defeated look on her face.

"Oh Hermione!" He flew across the bathroom to her, scooping her up and into his arms. "It's okay sweetheart, it's okay..."

"I just feel so ill, all the time!" She wailed again.

"You wouldn't happen to think there's an underlying reason for it, would you?" Charlie asked tentatively.

"No," she murmured unconvincingly.

"Are you sure?" Charlie asked again softly.

"There can't be," Hermione whimpered. "Your mum'll kill us."

Charlie chuckled and held her a little bit tighter. "Hermione, mum'll kill _me_. If you're pregnant, you're safe until at least the baby is born."

"That's not even funny Charlie," Hermione whispered, gripping onto him a little bit tighter. "We can't have a baby, we aren't even ready for one. I'm not even twenty...I'm fucking freaking out..."

"Hey, hey," Charlie cooed soothingly, twisting her slightly so he could look her in the eyes and cup her face in his hand. "Whatever happens, we're in this together. I promise, you and me for always."

"Charlie..." Hermione sniffed.

"Yeah?"

"Did Sirius announce it to the hall?" Hermione asked.

"Sort of..." he grimaced. "Lily was stupid enough to contradict him when he said he bet at least half the student body could tell me what was wrong with you."

"So naturally he just had to ask," Hermione groaned.

"Naturally," Charlie chuckled.

"Oh Merlin, this is so embarrassing!" Hermione cried.

"If I was a bit faster on the uptake, it wouldn't be quite so bad," Charlie sighed. "I'm sorry I was so clueless."

"You weren't clueless, you just took me for my word," Hermione shrugged. "Who told you?"

"Ginny, after Sirius invited the whole hall to give it a go," Charlie grumbled.

"Well, she should know," Hermione huffed.

"What?" Charlie frowned.

"Let's just say, you're not the only one going to get killed by his mother before the birth of his first child," Hermione said.

"Harry knocked up my sister?!" Charlie barked.

"You did say he could marry her and it wouldn't be any of your business," Hermione said.

"Yeah, marry her, not knock her up!" Charlie growled.

"Professor Weasley, I do believe you're currently operating on double standards right this moment," Hermione reprimanded him softly.

"What?"

"Remember, I am the equivalent to Harry's sister," she sighed, "and it would seem as though you have knocked me up."

"How do we test that?" Charlie said. "Just so we know for sure..."

"There's a spell," Hermione said. "It puts a white light around your body and turns pink after a few seconds if you're pregnant."

"Have you done it yet?" Charlie asked.

"No, I couldn't bring myself to make it that real," she whispered.

"Okay, come on," Charlie said, pulling Hermione up off the floor and gently guiding her over to the sofa. "How's this spell work then? What do we do?"

"Charlie-"

"We have to do it Hermione, or we'll never know," he said softly.

"Just, take a small step back," she instructed and Charlie did as he was told. Hermione took a deep breath and closed her eyes, waving her wand and muttering the incantation. As soon as she was finished a bright white light encircled her, she dropped her wand and put her head in her hands, keeping her eyes shut tight. Charlie felt his heart swoop suddenly as the light turned from white to pink. She was pregnant. His girlfriend was pregnant. With a a baby. His baby. He was going to be a dad! Oh holy fucking shit! He was going to be a dad! A bloody father! How in the hell was he supposed to do that?!

"Charlie..." Hermione mumbled, slowly peering out of her hands at him. "What did it say?"

"Uh...well...um...it, uh, it turned pink," Charlie stammered, trying to keep the tremble out of his voice.

"Oh..." Hermione whispered. "Fuck..."

"It turned pink," Charlie repeated.

"What are we going to do?" Hermione said, her voice wavering as she held in her sobs.

"It, it turned pink," Charlie said again. "We're having a baby..."

"Yes Charlie, we are," she growled. "Try and keep up."

"We're having a baby!" Charlie cried, a huge and goofy grin breaking out across his face as he jumped up and down excitedly.

Hermione simply stared at him in shock. "Charlie, are you really that happy about this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Charlie frowned. "Yeah it's unplanned but I love you Hermione. I'm so in love with you that I know there's no one else. So, whatever life happens to throw at us, I'm game for. And it's a baby...our baby..."

"But we haven't even been dating a year," Hermione sniffed, "we aren't married, we aren't even engaged!"

"Hermione, it's our year anniversary next week," Charlie smiled patiently. "And for our anniversary I bought you something that I think would be fitting to give you now."

"Why?" she sobbed, unable to hold back her tears.

"You'll see," Charlie said, kissing her forehead and leaning back to rummage in his pocket.

"You have it with you?" she frowned.

"I've had it with me since I bought it about a month ago," he grinned, pulling out a beautiful, diamond engagement ring. Hermione gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. She looked at Charlie wide eyed. "I told you it was always you, ever since I started falling in love with you I knew it would only ever be you." He wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb and smiled sweetly at her. "Will you marry me, Hermione Granger? Love of my life?"

"Yes," Hermione choked out. "Yes you soppy git."

Charlie kissed her fiercely and slipped the ring on her finger before tangling his hands in her hair and pulling her into his lap as he sat on the sofa. Hermione gripped him tight, never wanting to let go. She breathed in relief at his perfect response to their current predicament, smiling as she recalled the way he bounced up and down like Christmas had come early.

"Your mother is going to go mental," Hermione sighed as they pulled apart for air.

"Nah, she'll slap me upside the head but inside she'll be stoked," Charlie said. "She gets a new grandchild, another daughter-in-law and a whole wedding to sink her teeth into, she'll be bouncing the walls with excitement before she's even finished slapping me."

"About the wedding," Hermione said tentatively.

"Yeah?" Charlie frowned, unsure what her next sentence would be based on the tone of her voice.

"Can we get married after the baby is born?" she asked. "I don't want to be a heavily pregnant bride and I've never been too keen on the idea of a shotgun wedding purely because of that."

"Of course my love, whatever you want," Charlie smiled.

"I'd just rather enjoy it properly, you know? Without the swollen belly, the aching feet and the overabundance of hormones," she said.

"You're only a week or so pregnant," Charlie chuckled. "Anyone would think you were looking forward to the later stages."

"It sounds amazing," Hermione drawled, "wouldn't you be?"

"I will do whatever I can to make this the best experience of your life," Charlie grinned.

Several minutes later, and with permission from Hermione of course, Charlie ran back into the Great Hall spouting large fireworks from his wand and with the biggest grin on his face anyone had ever seen. "I'm going to be a dad!" he yelled happily and the hall broke out into fits of giggles and laughter along with a lot of clapping.

"Congratulations mate!" Sirius beamed.

"My fiancée wants to kill you by the way," Charlie said. "She can't wait to get her hands on you."

"Why?! What did I do?!" Sirius cried.

"You mean other than practically announce her pregnancy to the whole school before we even knew?" Charlie scoffed.

"Yeah-wait a second, did you say fiancée?!" Sirius squealed.

"Yep," Charlie grinned.

"Oh wow! You've certainly been busy," Sirius smirked. "Congratulations again."

"Thanks," Charlie said, taking his seat at the table again. "Now run."

"What?" Sirius frowned.

"Run..." Charlie murmured with wide eyes as he turned back to the front of the hall.

"Run? Why?" Sirius said.

"Sirius Black!" Hermione bellowed as she waltzed back into the room.

"I tried to warn you mate," Charlie sniggered.

"Ooo, you're in for it now," Lily laughed.

"Whose girlfriend are you?" Sirius huffed.

"Professor Black, I wish to talk to you privately if I may?" Hermione hissed.

"Uh, well, I'm quite busy right now and subsequently will be for the next nine months at least," Sirius garbled.

"You know how a howler gets worse if you leave it to burst into flame?" Hermione snarled.

"Are you telling me you're going to burst into flame?" Sirius scoffed.

"Merlin you're such an idiot," Lily mumbled at him.

"Sirius!" Hermione shrieked.

"Okay okay, I'm coming!" He groaned, standing up and walking towards her. Before he could react, she'd taken out her wand and hit him hard with a perfect bat bogey hex. "Ah! What are you doing woman?!"

"Getting revenge on your arrogant arse," she grinned. "Next time you decide the school needs to know something so personal why don't you try telling them you wear women's underwear or your favourite singer is Celine Dion."

The whole hall laughed uproariously at Sirius being upstaged by the small, hormonal, angry pregnant woman currently making her way back to her seat.

"But that's not true!" Sirius cried, barely being heard above the din.

"Have fun getting _them_ to believe that," Hermione smirked, nodding towards the cackling students.

"That's no fair!" Sirius whined amidst flailing his arms at the bat-shaped bogeys flying around his head.

"You should have thought of that before you divulged my personal information to the entire school," Hermione said with a shrug.

"They already knew!" Sirius yelled above the noise.

"Do you need me to hex you again?!" Hermione barked. "What would you like to accompany the current bat problem you have? I know a good stinging hex that might make the ordeal that much more awful?"

"Okay! I'm sorry Hermione!" Sirius cried. "I'm really, truly, sorry!"

Hermione waved her wand and the bat bogeys disappeared. She beckoned Sirius towards her and leant forward to whisper into his ear. "I smuggled a baby dragon out of this castle when I was eleven, I brewed polyjuice potion when I was twelve, I hid a reporter in a jar when I was fourteen and illegally trained teenagers in defence against the dark arts at fifteen...I'm pregnant, angry and hormonal, with an extra four years of schooling...imagine the things I could do to you, Sirius Black, if you so much as think of pissing me off again..."

"Congratulations Hermione, I'm very sorry for my inappropriate announcement on your behalf. Nothing of the sort will ever happen again, I promise. And if ever you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask," Sirius said, his face a little pale and his smile a little too fake. Fear was in his eyes.

Charlie turned to Hermione with a smirk on his face. "What'd you say to him?"

"Nothing you don't already know," she grinned, giving him a sweet peck on the cheek.

"I love you so much Miss Granger," Charlie sighed.

"I'm not writing to your mother," Hermione said. "No amount of sucking up is going to get me to do that."

Charlie huffed and pouted, whining about it for a few more seconds before he watched his little sister run abruptly from the hall in much the same manner Hermione had only minutes ago. He couldn't help the small giggle that escaped his lips at seeing Sirius' face fall flat in shock and Lily's expression turn from one of horror to complete and utter fury.

"I'm so glad I'm not Harry right now," Charlie mumbled. "Mum may have a temper on her but she's no Lily Potter."

"Yeah, that and Harry gets it both sides from Lily _and_ your mum. You're lucky my folks don't care all that much," Hermione said.

"Nah, I'm just lucky I got you," Charlie grinned.

"Nice save Professor Weasley," Hermione smiled, leaning in to give Charlie a quick but tender kiss. He grinned at her and the pair went back to eating breakfast like the world hadn't just turned upside down. They were together and there was only so much damage an upside-down world could do.


End file.
